What Is The Dumbest Generation

As generations go by, our predecessors assume we are skipping out on important aspects of life just to get a few extra minutes on our devices. In Catherine Rampell’s “A Generation of Slackers? Not So Much”, it is said the older generations believe Generation Y is “coddled, disrespectful, narcissistic, and impatient” (Rampell 388). In all reality our generation is just doing what it has to in order to thrive in the world we live in, where technology is one of the largest parts of our everyday lives. If the older generations that criticize Generation Y had grown up in Generation Y they would realize the world we live in requires the use of technology. The advancement of society with technology has shaped Generation Y to be the people that they are, relying on technology; however, older generations believe Generation Y is lazy.

In today’s society video games have a large influence on people. We also might be driven to the point of where we are dependent on them. In fact, being so engulfed in video games could help children become more focused.In fact, parents would probably disagree and say that video games wouldn’t be essential to learning because it would probably be considered a waste of time for children and time-consuming. Parents would also disagree with the content of what is in the game, but there is a great possibility that video games could actually make us smarter. Steven Johnson explains that the games we are used to playing can improve our visual intelligence and that it would be good to learn new strategies through gaming. Video games should be an

Do playing video games really impact an individual’s ability to think critically? The question asked by many Americans is whether or not video games are making our youth less critically inclined or less intelligent than children in other countries. Many believe video games must have an impact on critical thinking or intelligence because standardized test scores have declined as the popularity of video games has inclined. Research on the topic shows results that would not be expected; video games may actually enhance critical thinking.

“We are gradually changing from a nation of calloused hands to a nation of agile brains.” – Marcel Just. (Begley 92) This quote really speaks to me. I find it to be very true as we are focusing more on developing new technology to do the work we might be doing with our hands. It is similar to the common expression “Work Smarter not Harder”. I think that this is what the internet is letting us do. However many authors and writers do not think this is the case. They believe that the internet is making us less intelligent as it is rewiring our brain to think in order of internet articles rather than books. I on the contrary believe the internet is giving us an easy opportunity to learn which is therefore making us more intelligent.

In chapter one of The Dumbest Generation, Mike Bauerlein makes several statements about our generation and comes to a conclusion that helps set the groundwork for the entire book. His analysis of today’s youth states that the current generation is lacking when it comes to intellectual knowledge. He provides evidence that states that today’s under-thirty population in the United States does not have adequate knowledge, and their lack of knowledge with affect them greatly in their adulthood years.

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”.

Dumbest Generation Synthesis Essay People of the Millennial Era would consider their generation to be the smartest . With all the technological advances and the upgrades on the way society functions it would seem clear that they are the most intelligent . According to social critic , author , and professor Mark Bauerlein , those under the age of 30 make up the “dumbest” generation in modern history .After his publication of his book, “ The Dumbest Generation,’’ it was brought to America’s attention that anyone after Generation X are apart of the dumbest generation .

Mark Bauerlein-- english professor at Emory University, senior editor, and author of “The Dumbest Generation” states that this generation is dumber than the previous generation. I disagree with Bauerlein because millennials have improved their intellectual aspects and writing abilities over the years. Technology has been a huge advantage for this generation because not only do millennials depend on it but also learn to be self taught as well. This generation is constantly being accused of being “ the dumber generation”.

The Dumbest Generation There is so much information and technology available to the under 30 generation, however this comes with a cost. In The Dumbest Generation, authors share their opinions on if the under 30 generation is the dumbest and why. This generation has proved itself to be the dumbest because of an over reliance on the abundance of new technology surrounding them, instead of using their knowledge to think on their own. Technology has given the under 30 generation an easy way out, which has resulted in the loss of vital skills that are crucial in everyday life. The under 30 generation is significantly dumber than previous generations, making it the dumbest generation.

Intelligence is not based on what one already knows. Instead, it is based upon our ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills towards a certain topic. In other words, how one will process and use the information that has been given to them. The learning and thinking capacity today’s generation posses is not only greater than those of previous generations but more effective as well. Researcher Mizuko Ito agrees. In her 3-year study she states, “...young people acquire various forms of technical and media literacy by

An author by the name of Mark Bauerlein claims in his book The Dumbest Generation that the generation of people younger than 30 are the dumbest yet. The generation of people younger than 30 are not the dumbest generation because video games teach them valuable lessons in life and also because the internet has changed how they think.

In his article he talks about the under 30 generation actually being smarter than previous generations. And that is because of technology something seen as a mind enabler might actually be helpful.According to Thompson, Lunsford says that young people “write more than any generation” specifically any generation “before them.” So if we are the dumbest generation why are we writing more, “38 percent of it took place out of the classroom” says Lunsford. Even if the writing is occurring on facebook, through “chat sessions” and twitter it’s still happening, and believe it or not it’s benefitting our writing. Our tone and self expression is evolving quicker and better than previous

In “Everything Bad Is Good For You,” Steven Johnson discusses why and how he believes today’s popular culture is actually making us smarter, rather than dumbing us down. Johnson has his book split into two different parts, focusing mainly on the first part of his book, he talks about the ways people consume media and how it has become more complex and challenging over the years. The title headings for each sub-chapters are - Video Games, Television, Internet, and Movies. Within each subchapter he uses a vast number of examples from each section to support his argument. The biggest part the first chapter is dedicated to video games. Johnston suggests that when video games were first released that people thought they made us dumber and wasted our mind’s skills. He uses the example about how if video games had arrived before books, we would be more hesitant towards books. We would be looking at the negative aspects of book reading and how they are isolating, under-stimulating and do not engage enough. Stating that we use books to test cognitive benefits – attention, memory, focus and following threads, Johnston goes into a detail about how video games uses all these skills and more. He uses examples from Tetris, Pac-Man, SimCity200 and even The Legend of Zelda. Continuing his argument that video games engage us more that any other media our there at the moment, he acknowledges how to reward system and the desire to explore in video games keep us engaged. No other form of

Video games have quickly become the new major source of entertainment for the youth and the upcoming adults of the world. The youth seem to be giving more of their free time to video games. However, they have always seemed to have a bad reputation with many people of all generations. People are starting to believe more and more that video games are nothing but trouble. They feel as if video games are a waste of time and the youth could be using the time they spend on video games on more productive tasks or activities. What if they were actually a good thing for the younger generations to be involved with? Many would doubt that is possible because they feel as if video games cause the youth to become lazy and less intelligent. There has

Video games are frowned upon by parents as time-wasters, and worse, some education experts think that these games corrupt the brain. Violent video games are easily blamed by the media and some experts as the reason why some young people become violent or commit extreme anti-social behavior. But many scientists and psychologists find that video games can actually have many benefits – the main one is making kids smart. Video games may actually teach kids high-level thinking skills that they will need in the future.