The Dumbest Generation

Throughout the last millennium, technology has increasingly become more apart of our everyday lives. Some argue that our generation has become too dependent on these technological advancements, leading to a decrease in general knowledge. With devices such as the phone or computer, they believe this easy access to information limits the retention of said information.

In the article “The Dumbest Generation” by Mark Bauerlein, he cites a 2007 Pew survey on “What Americans Know: 1989-2007”, which states that 56 percent of 18-29 year olds possessed low knowledge levels, while only 22 percent of 50-60 year olds did. This statement of the source is proven that our knowledge is the same at the previous knowledge, which is no different.

The most common argument concerning technological devices negatively affecting us is that because of the easily accessible information, we no longer need to retain the information. For example, if I wanted to know who the leader of Russia is, I could do a quick google search and find the answer. However, is this such a bad thing? Back in the day, people would use encyclopedias, atlases, etc. to find the information they needed. This is no different from today. The equivalent to the encyclopedia is wikipedia, an atlas google maps. Not only can we now quicker than ever find the information we need, it's much more accessible. The retention of such information is just as likely as if you read it from a book.

During these past recent years, the new generations have been bombarded with cruel comments such as “the dumb generation” or “the lazy generation.” They fail to take in mind many of the life changing inventions or ideas that have been created by the newer generation. We have pushed the limit and advanced our technology farther than ever before. Not only that, but we’ve also become so much more aware of events occurring around us. With social media now at our fingertips, we are now able to spread news and ideas at lightning speed. We are exposed to so much knowledge on a daily basis. So when degrading comments are made about the newer youth, we should really question if they deserve it.

Overall, critics may say that technology has made us lazy because of the short cuts it has created, but it's that technology that gets us one step closer from discovering big and greater things that help our way of life. Whether it's a new phone, a cure for cancer, or even new types