I'm not on Facebook...

Bauerlein’s argument is pretty straightforward. We’re getting dumb. We waste too much time. We don’t know anything about the world we live in. That’s basically it. The same thing our parents tell some of us. I’ll probably do a Facebook break soon. What Bauerlein is specifically saying is that we do not care about knowing anything about the world we live in, we spend way too much time staring at screens than we do opening books, and the cause of this dumb generation is because of the way we were brought up.

Bauerlein is constantly arguing the fact that this new generation doesn’t want to know anything about the world. That they (we) are localized and want it to stay that way. One thing he says that I could only agree with is that “The insulated mindset of individuals who know precious little history and civics and never read a book or visit a museum is fast becoming a common, shame-free condition”(16). I couldn’t agree more with this. Not only is it shame-free, but it’s almost something we take pride in. I constantly hear people mockingly say “Gosh I haven’t like, read a book since sixth grade”, and right away people nod or laugh or get so excited they blurt out “OMG ME TOO”. 

This type of behavior may be the cause of our upbringing. Bauerlein states in chapter three, “While father fights the traffic, mother must prepare dinner, and so she sets their two-year-old on the living room carpet and starts a Sesame Street video that the child soaks up agreeably for 30 minutes” (75). This constant surrounding of technology is what has led to this dumb generation. We know what we want in terms of technology at a very young age. “Kids usually know exactly what they want and where they want to go, and they get there with a few mouse clicks or channel changes” (77). As I read that passage, I realized I was that kid. I would turn on the computer and put in a disc and start playing and “educational” game. Or I would come home from school and the TV would suck me in. Though this may not be true, what Bauerlein is saying makes sense and the facts he provides support his argument very strongly. We were born into technology and it is part of our culture.

            Though I may find myself agreeing and having an “OMG” moment at many of the things Bauerlein says, I disagree with some as well. When describing the relationship between this generation and the world he states, “It isn’t enough to say that these young people are uninterested in world realities. They are actively cut off from them” (13). Though it is very true that many of us are not interested in the world, it is not cut off from us. In fact, we have all the resources we need to educate ourselves about the world we live in and learn as much as we want. All we have to do is type a few words, click here and there, and boom…we got it. So I think Bauerlein got a little too excited there.

            He also argues something that had me thinking “WTF”. He states, “…Young Americans have more money to make use of it all. Not many 20-year-olds in 1965 had a credit cared, but according to Nellie Mae, by 2002 83 percent of college students carried at least one…” (31). Seriously Mark? Times change. This is the same in Europe and Asia. I’ve been there. I’ve seen it. I can judge. Kids have more money Economies have gotten much bigger world wide and the world has changed. Besides, I doubt if a 20 year old had money in 1965 he or she would go buy a book on Aristotle’s Rhetoric. Though that does sound awesome. Rhetoric is freaking awesome.  Anyway, Mark needs to get it together. His logic was a bit flawed there.

            Overall, Bauerlein was quit effective. I found myself agreeing with many of things he stated and there’s no doubt that this new generation is less interested in reading books and our heart rate increases when we’re about to go on facebook. He provided statistics to back up his claims and he used personal examples such as the Jay Leno interview. His argument and the way he wrote the book makes me want to prove him wrong. Because I know he’s right. It makes me want to go read a book and not touch my phone or facebook while doing homework (I literally just received a text :D). 

Are children getting dumber?

They aren't all part of the "Dumbest Generation"...but they're still dumb. So this works.