Our Generation As We Know It

A few years ago, I decided to learn sign language. It was not a project for a class, a requirement to graduate, or a fact that everyone knew. I just wanted to learn sign language, so I did what many twenty-first century millennials do and downloaded an app. The app showed me diagrams to learn basic phrases, videos to perfect the movements, and lessons to learn more efficiently. The technology of the app made learning sign language easy, and I could use it wherever I went. I thought that I was smart for using technology to learn specific things, but Mark Bauerlein, the author of a 2008 book called The Dumbest Generation, would disagree. According to Bauerlein, twenty-first century teenagers possess “low knowledge levels” when compared to past generations because of the increased use of technology. However, Bauerlein is mistaken. This generation is not “the dumbest generation” because we focus on different topics, we write more often, and we know that every generation has been called “the dumbest”.

Since our existence, humans have become smarter through evolution. Advances in technologies allow us to discover new ideas through science and other methods, allowing us to be smarter. However, these advances may also become harmful in the present and possibly the future. New technologies such as cell phones and computers have made life much simpler, but has also taken away the need for critical thinking. Instead of books and newspapers, all we really need is a metal brick and a few taps to get all the information we ever needed in our lives. This represents the current generations, such as the Millennials and Generation Z. The newest generation is the dumbest generation because of how they are very inept and ignorant.

“Barely half of the 15-to 26-year-olds queried agreed that “paying attention to government and politics” is important to good citizenship, and only two-thirds considered voting a meaningful act. While 64 percent knew the name of the latest “American Idol,” only 10 percent could identify the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Only one-third knew which party controlled the state legislature, and only 40 percent knew which party controlled Congress.” – Bauerlein, Mark. The Dumbest Generation. Penguin Grove: New York, 2008. Print.

In the article, “Baseball a Hit for Special-Needs Kids,” author Vikki Ortiz Healy uses examples and evidence to portray the message that coming generations are slowly becoming more understanding and inclusive of those with disabilities. Healy first uses evidence to prove this as she writes, “Specific Olympics Unified Sports, an international program… has grown to include 115,000 people in the U.S. and 700,000 around the world since the mid-1980s, according to Amie Dungan, director of marketing and communications for Special Olympics North America” (Healy para 6). Here the author describes the increasing number of people who are joining disabled-inclusive programs. Healy then uses exemplification to illustrate the message and writes, “...the

    “I would like to be remembered as someone who did the best she could with the talent she had.” (J.K. Rowling Quotes.) Today, J.K. Rowling has become one of the most famous authors in the world. She can hook a reader’s attention by using her talent of writing. People know her for this all around the world. Therefore, J.K. is an artist because of her bestselling book series, and the many awards, and records, that she has won.

Rowling decided to write about a young wizard who does not know of his own wizard powers. Rowling found help and received a grant due to unemployment, where she then completed her first real novel and found an agency, Bloomsbury, to publish her book (“J.K. Rowling.” Gale). Before the Barry Cunningham of Bloomsbury agency accepted her book, she have twelve other publishing companies deny the novel (Harry). Soon after her success publishing her first book, Rowling started working on sequels due to the amount of fame the book

Every day, people read books from the most famous authors, because their stories that they enjoy can cause them to read more. Some authors, creates unusual stories that people had never even used before in every generation. A women named Beatrix Potter is one of the famous authors in the United States because she is an artist, and she creates books for the children to read.

J.K. Rowling came from humble beginnings, born in Chipping Sodbury, England on July 31, 1965. As a child, her parents struggled to keep the family on welfare. With Joanne, J.K. Rowling’s real name, and her little sister Di to support, Anne and Peter Rowling, had to make enough money to allow them to get a private school education. *insert quote here*.

Wow!! J.K Rowling is a very influential author. She only write’s one genre but she does it very well. She touches an older and younger audience. Additionally, J.K Rowling inspires other authors. Rowling has good technique, style, and a way of inspiring other people on her writing.

Joanne “Jo” Rowling, better known by her pseudonym J.K. Rowling, is one of the most loved authors in the world by children and adults alike. Her most famous works, the Harry Potter series, have sold hundreds of millions of copies and are second only to the Bible in sales. Not only are her novels extraordinarily popular, the film adaptations became a phenomenon of their own. These enormous successes made Jo one of the wealthiest women in the world, even wealthier than the Queen of England herself (Kirk, 2008). However, there was a time in Jo’s life that was far from this great success story and at her lowest point, Jo suffered from Major Depressive Disorder. She was able to overcome her diagnosis and turn her whole life around, becoming a great role model and advocate for de-stigmatizing mental illness.

A refugee is defined by law as someone who has left their home country by force or unwillingly ("It 's time for action, and new answers, on global refugee crisis"). The reasons for a refugees leaving will always revolve around reasons such as natural disasters, wars, or persecution going on in their home country. The most recent human disaster to happen to our generation is the Syrian refugee crises. American leaders are divided against the Syrian refugee crises, turning it into a major controversy in American politics with the majority of leaders and governors against letting them into American borders. However, according to reports it would benefit the nation and world greatly both strategically and economically to have compassion on these refugees and let them into the United States. The United States should be open to allowing refugees in and not be quick to turn them away because of stereotypes or preconceived fears.

My generation the 1990’s born youngsters, in my views these are some key challenges faced by our generation.

Part of achieving the dream is having ambition. Rowling has appeared to have that since a very young age. When asked if she had always wanted to be a writer, she said yes, “As soon as I realized that books didn’t just pop up out of nowhere, that people made the stories” (Madeley and Finnigan). She even wrote a book at the age of six about a rabbit with measles. When she received positive feedback from her mother, she suggested to have it published (“J.K. Rowling Biography”). Rowling’s mother remained an influential part of the author’s writing, especially after her death, which is described as “the most traumatizing moment of her life” (Greig). Her mother Anne died after a decade-long fight against multiple sclerosis in 1991 on New Year's Day when Joanne was just 25 years old. She never got to tell

Whether virtuous or nefarious, the changes made by my generation as a whole have the potential to be far larger and faster in scale than the changes made by any of the preceding generations in all of human history. However, this isn’t due to a disproportionate amount of prodigies or revolutionary thinkers. This is simply because of the advancements, changes, and efforts of our predecessors that we possess advantages and tools such as: a seemingly infinite pool of knowledge to pull from, means to collaborate with the greatest minds the world has to offer at any moment, and an ever increasing number of ways to create and revolutionize the world around us.

Joanne Rowling was born in July 1965 at Yate General Hospital in England and grew up in Chepstow, Gwent where she went to Wyedean Comprehensive.