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Mark bauerlein the dumbest generation essay
Mark bauerlein the dumbest generation essay
Mark bauerlein the dumbest generation essay
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My essay, “The Lack of Independent Learners”, was formulated from Mark Bauerlein’s The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Don 't Trust Anyone Under 30). While reading Bauerlein’s book, I processed the information through critical thinking. It would have been easy for me to read with a biased point of view, as I am under 30. Dr. Gerald Nosich, a professor dedicated to teaching critical thinking, addresses biased points of view as egocentrism and an impediment to critical thinking in his book: Learning to Think Things Through: A guide to Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum (22). I read with an open mind because sometimes I do think I am a part of the dumbest generation. Bauerlein
“The Dumbest Generation” is a title no group of people want to behold. Nonetheless, people under age thirty have been given this belittling title. To those who go off questions about obsolete general knowledge rather than the ability to take in and evaluate knowledge, this title may seem quite fitting. However, Millennials aren’t quite as dull as they’ve been perceived to be. The ability of Millennials to absorb information, rather than know general facts, and their use of contemporary technology as reading and writing resources has proven that they are quite an innovative and bright generation.
In “Cultural Illiteracy,” a preface to the novel The Dumbest Generation, Mark Bauerlein critically evaluates how technological distractions affect the younger generation. Bauerlein states that “digital diversions” are cutting the younger generation off from culturally enhancing mediums and is in turn making the younger generation less intelligent. Though Bauerlein is correct about the increase of peer pressure due to technology, he is mistaken about how technology is making the younger generation unintelligent.
Colombo introduces his section on critical thinking by asking a question “Why do instructors mean when they tell to think critically?” (2). His point is that we should no just focus on the surface meaning. He uses the example of the cover of our Rereading America textbook. He says that the average student from the United States may just believe that the book only applies to the United States. When a student from anny other country in the Western Hemisphere might complain that the title reflects a discriminatory view of what it maens to be an American. Since America contains all the countries of North, South, and Central America. He goes on to explain that most think they want us to ask questions rather than just relay the text back through memorization. That kind of thinking is nearly useless in the real world. What job is there that all you do is relay data back? There are almost none of these
Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing written by; Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle, Eighth Edition, published April, 2007 by Bedford/St. Martin’s, is a textbook about writing and critical thinking. In the first chapter of Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing, “Thinking Critically, Challenging Cultural Myths”, the Authors begin by setting a relatable scene of what it’s like for a college student. How a new found independence can be overwhelming, especially with regards to critical thinking, showing that what we have learned, needs to be re-evaluated and that an open mind in essential. "What Is Critical Thinking" In this section of the chapter the editors explain what it means to be a critical thinker. They explain that critical thinking is not just studying dates and facts, but rather taking those facts and examining them. The editors then proceed by explaining how having an open mind, and taking others' perspectives into account when formulating our own opinions on what the author is trying to say to us is important. A critical thinker takes all aspects into account and reflects on personal experience as well. The editors also point out that different cultural experiences bring different opinions. They suggest that we need to become active learners, continuously questioning the meaning behind everything, testing not only the theories of others but also our own experiences and analyzing the text rather than going for the obvious. They show that thinking outside the box is the epitome of critical thinking. Basically, we need to step outside our comfort zones and what we have always been taught. The editors also suggest that we need to re-evaluate our per...
Mark Bauerlein the author of The Dumbest Generation, claims that people under thirty are the dumbest generation in modern history. Many people call us the dumbest generation because we have the Internet. The Internet does not make our generation “dumb”, it makes us one of the most advanced generation yet. There is much evidence to support both side however it is clearly evident that this generation is not the dumbest.
career yet, the life of a student is proving to be just as busy as those
In today’s society many technological advances have contributed to advanced communication. While these are advantageous and can improve communication across the globe, they have become a hindrance to critical thinking. With the advancement of technology throughout the world human beings are able to think less while still “functioning.” Literacy is thrown to the wayside and texting “lingo” runs rampant. Why read a book when you can watch the movie? Students are becoming less interested in language, reading, and writing and more involved with surfing the web for answers. This shift in the value of literacy opens the world up to many dangers that if not confronted and demolished could lead to a society unable to think for themselves.
Have you ever wondered if our generation is the dumbest? Well, there’s some evidence to prove so. Generation ‘Y’ is considered to be the dumbest generation of all. This is based on numerous experiments, polls, surveys, etc. While everything else in this world is rising, intellect of each generation is falling. With the ignorance of facts, by choice, and lack of some education, Generation ‘Y’ is considered to be the dumbest generation.
Baby Boomers are the most powerful demographic group in history. Businesses thrives or fails based on their ability to keep pace with the likes and dislikes of this economic powerhouse known as the baby boomers. At 76 million strong, boomers have the influence to rule the marketplace and make sure they keep a place set just for them as the
In life there are many people, things, or places that we experience that have influenced our lives so unique and powerful there unlike any other. Some women experience such alteration with the birth of a new baby. While for another person this life alteration may be making partner at a law firm. Though everyone experiences life on a different level one thing is for certain, not everything in life is a good experience. Everything in life is balanced, and with every joy comes some form of heartache. For some people it takes an emotional toll so incoherent that it never fades. After World War I many men experienced the let down affiliated with the war, and discovered there fight for admiration and loyalty led to nothing more than a expulsion of lost values, thus leading to the “lost generation.”
Mark Bauerlein’s views today’s society as intellectually dumb. He believes that the technology in our era benefits us in many ways, but that people’s understanding and knowledge of this has not happened. Technology has made it easy to access information fast anywhere and everywhere. Our brains no longer hold knowledge. They are no longer storage units of information, but are piles of mush stuffed into our heads in order to fill the empty space. We are fed daily by our phones and our televisions with useless information, and just like food, once it goes in it’s bound to come out. We may remember pieces of information, but the whole piece together is not stored in our brains. I agree with Bauerlein about the younger generations and they’re lack of knowledge but advancement of technology. Although many may argue that the younger generations are not undereducated, the advancement of technology makes it easy for the media and the internet to indoctrinate a new, lazier, more materialistic way of life causing them to be the dumbest generation.
The generation that I was born into can sometimes be easily misunderstood by those in earlier generations. The individuals in my generation get thrown many different labels such as those that Rosie Evans (n.d.) listed in her article, “Millennials, Generation Y, the Lost Generation, boomerang kids, the Peter Pan generation…” and more. This can impact us as a whole because some will begin to live by the labels, in some cases that can be negative but in others it may be beneficial. Many people in this generation believe that they can’t reach their full potential due to labels and prejudgment, while there are others believe nothing can hold them back. When we get labeled all together that is also what may drive some to try to stand out from the
There are many generations in society such as Traditionalist, Baby Boomer, Generation X, Y, and Z. Generation Z is the youngest generation in the list. However, in any work place, Generation Y, which is known as an Echo Boomers or Millenniums, is the youngest. No one knows how it emerged, but it began in 1998 and ended in 2006. The people in this era were born between 1977 and 1994, which is my generation. In the United States, there are seventy one million Generation Y-ers, which takes up the largest part of population. Unlike other generations, Generation Y has very outstanding abilities and environments to success. Those abilities and characteristics are efficient in business and companies. Also, Generation Y’s remarkable characteristics affect their social lives a lot. The Generation Y is very family centric, and able to catch up the trends. Their general cultures are pop-music, iPods, social websites, like Facebook and Twitter, and anything that relates to technology. In principle, Generation Y-ers are optimistic, social, and have high self-esteem. Those characteristics bring many pros and cons to hire them. Pros are general mostly, but cons are not true mostly because of misconceptions.
Everyone sees the future in a different way; some see greater technological advances while others might see a more peaceful mankind. This indecisiveness leads to the ongoing debate as to whether or not this generation, Generation Y, has a role in America’s future. Considering our teenagers and children are the adults of tomorrow, I would argue that, in fact, they do have an impact. Every new generation has a role in the future of our country, as they fill the gaps of other people that can’t work anymore or have passed away. It just becomes a matter of how we use this power to impact society. Although the generation is very capable of producing great leaders, politicians, and a hands-on community, we cannot predict how those will choose to fill the gaps.
I strongly believe that people of my generation are smarter and more intelligent than our ancestors, while my grandparents disagree with this idea. I see that the present-day discovery of scientific facts and modern technology help shaping our idea of the world and lead us to the better understanding of the world, by giving us skill of swiftness, convenient access to information and fact of nature, and correcting the false myths. Also, brand-new style of teaching allows kids these days to be more creative and confident than those in the old days, as students are allowed to use ask their teacher when in doubt, and join an open discussion in class.