ipl-logo

Review Of The Dumbest Generation By Mark Bauerlein

786 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effect of technology on children

The Dumbest Generation- How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes our Future (Or, Don't Trust Anyone Under The age of 30) published by the Penguin Group in 2008 was written by Mark Bauerlein. Bauerlein is a professor of English at Emory University and has previously worked as the director of Research and Analysis at the National Endowment for the Arts. During his time as director, he also oversaw American life and culture. The Dumbest Generation is a national bestseller and has caused a “swift and judgmental response from the media” according to Bauerlein in his preface to the paperback edition of The Dumbest Generation. In The Dumbest Generation Bauerlein writes about this generation's drive to learn and how it is dissipating quickly.

Mark Bauerlein makes it extremely clear that Generation Y, The Millennials, are losing their intelligence and drive to acquire and obtain knowledge. Bauerlein states in the beginning of his book that he is not here to undermine and look down upon this Generation but to share the facts of reality, a reality that the young people of today simple do not care about their education and see social media such as Twitter and Instagram a more important way of spending their free time.

This Generation is extremely lucky, never before has so …show more content…

What Bauerlein fails to talk about is the fact that every generation has a negative input or opinion on the next generation. He also fails to talk about the curriculum before the 90s is not the same as it is now. Bauerlein is wrong when he implies that he is not here to insult the youth, but to give light on the current intellectual situations. Bauerlein says that the Millennials “may even be recalled as the generation that lost the great American heritage, forever.” This takes an almost I-am-better-than-you tone as he describes the, in his point of view, generation that will fail

Show More
Related

Summary Of A Cycle Of Outrage By James Gilbert

909 Words | 4 Pages

In James Gilbert’s book, A Cycle of Outrage - America’s Reaction to the Juvenile Delinquent in the 1950’s, he cites examples of why Americans were “puzzled and distressed by the activities of postwar teenagers.” In an excerpt from his book, he describes that the increased worry about the changing culture of American teenagers is partly due to the rise in technology during the 1950’s (12). Unlike in the past, teenagers were able to rapidly shift their speech, fashion, taste in music, and overall attitude in a uniform manner due to access to mass media. As technology was on the rise, so was the number of students attending high schools. () This, in turn, allowed for even more solidarity amongst the teenage population.

Read More

Summary Of Feed By M. T. Anderson

810 Words | 4 Pages

In the Young Adult novel “Feed” by M.T Anderson, Anderson describes a future in which most of society is completely shallow, uneducated and manipulated by consumerism. Throughout the novel, it is clearly portrayed how in the future most of teenagers don’t worry about their own level of intellect and how the feed has them completely ignorant of their natural sense of self. Education is not important anymore because through the feed students can find out any information they want at any time. Since with the help of the feed everything for teenagers is so much easier than nowadays, most of them only worry about having fun and consuming anything of interest that comes up in their feeds. In many chapters of this book, there are very good examples that show how shallow people are in this non-too-fictional future.

Read More

The Dumbest Generation Summary

341 Words | 2 Pages

Mark Bauerlein, author of ‘The Dumbest Generation’, argues that today’s youth has had a decline in academics due to new technology in today’s economy. In retrospect, we’re growing up in a different time than the generation before us; the world and it’s products are different as to be expected, and with them we must learn new materials than they did. Today’s generation isn’t ‘dumb’, instead we’re adjusting to the times and retaining different knowledge than the generations before us. Many older generations always thinks that the generation after theirs is ‘dumber’, and think themselves to be the superior one.

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of The New Greatest Generation

635 Words | 3 Pages

Selina Raymond English 102 Mrs. Hildebrand 2 February 2018 Rhetorical Analysis of “The New Greatest Generation” Words that most resonate with Millennials are narcissistic, lazy, and entitled which many people feel to be true. Author Joel Stein, Wrote “The New Greatest Generation,” published in 2013, and he argues that while the data he provides proves Milliennials may be narcissistic, lazy, and entitled, they are not defined by it; they are defined by how they respond to real life situations. Stein begins to strengthen his purpose by using a sarcastic tone while providing the facts and statistics, successfully making the readers question whether the evidence is valid; another way stein successfully furthers his purpose by using an order of

Read More

Discussion Of Rhetorical Analysis Of This Is Water By David Foster Wallace

869 Words | 4 Pages

With the general assumption that millennials are arrogant, Wallace shares a story to prove to everyone that being arrogant is not worth it (Wallace, 2005). So much more can be done if we focus our energy in thinking in a more positive manner. For instance, he talked about being a little less arrogant, saying “Because a huge percentage of the stuff that I tend to be automatically certain of is, it turns out, totally wrong and deluded. I have learned this the hard way” and further claims “as I predict you graduates will, too.” (Wallace, 2005)

Read More

Anti Intellectualism Why We Hate The Smart Kids Summary

923 Words | 4 Pages

In the reading, “Anti-Intellectualism: Why We Hate the Smart Kids,” Grant Penrod recommends that there should be a different way to socialize amongst other individuals. This entire description explains the personal burdens that the intelligent scholars undergo. The ideas are as follows: author 's guilt celebrates, ideas held as standard when communicating, and on the bandwagon to get smart people worn down by the individuals that are against smart people. The author is afraid that people would not take the time out of their day to read or study for their classes. Claiming that bad influence towards education makes it resistant.

Read More

Summary Of Dumb Kids Class By Mark Bowden

308 Words | 2 Pages

In his essay “Dumb Kids Class” by Mark Bowden argues about student being categorized depending on their look and what class they are in, stereotypes and how everything is not what it always seems. Students are always going to be labeled whether it’s by teachers, and or other students. Bowden is specifically writing about his own experience with the stereotype of the two classes, how the students are looked upon. Individuals in society want to be a part of a certain group to have a meaning, a power and with that power comes identity. But at the same time you must work for that group, prove yourself so other respect you for what you have chosen, however that doesn’t mean you don’t be labeled.

Read More

The Pros And Cons Of The Dumbest Generation

827 Words | 4 Pages

This generation no longer have to keep remembering every single material they are learning. Or have to go back to the library and spend hours to find the book they used for an assignment. As Kosil and Marcel say, “We are gradually changing from a nation of callused hands to a nation of agile brains … Insofar as new information technology exercises our minds and provides more information, it has to be improving thinking ability” (Source B). This shows people have technology right between their finger tips which enables them to think beyond just the facts. It is no longer only sticking to the facts.

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of Generation Velcro

986 Words | 4 Pages

A Rhetorical analysis of “Generation Velcro” In “Generation Velcro,” Dorothy Woodend discusses the lack of basic skills and knowledge that is being passed down from generation to generation, and how this could be a fundamental problem for both generation Y and the future of planet earth. Woodend, setting the tone for her article, asks the question, “[i]s this generation heading into a coming dark age with little more than the ability to update their Facebook statuses and watch YouTube, all with laces untied?” (par. 7). She contends that “[t]he inability to concentrate in a world of competing bits of information and constant multitasking have led to brains that can no longer keep up,” implying that this problem of concentration is inhibiting this newest generation’s ability to learn the skills necessary to sustain our world properly (par. 12).

Read More

The Beat Up Generation Analysis

659 Words | 3 Pages

The predecessor’s generation feels that millennials are out of line but they are just reluctant to accept changing times because they are used to things being a certain way. In the end, the anger amongst predecessor’s generation towards millennials come out to be nothing but envy because they feel like they are obsolete (Ellin 211). In the words of Roy Cohen, an executive coach in New York, “they’re an extraordinary generation that we should be celebrating, not dumping on” (Ellin 212). The millennials generation is looked down on because they do not follow the old

Read More

Effective Logical Fallacy: Million Dollar Listing

702 Words | 3 Pages

Effective Logical Fallacy The more money you have the happier you get: this logical fallacy can be interpreted many ways, you can choose to believe that or the opposite that with more money perhaps you can be happier. I was watching a show at my friend house called Million Dollar Listing, in this episode one of the sellers of multimillion dollar real state in New York City, this person make thousands in commission and are hardly shy to show all the money they make and the purchase power they have in a city like New York City, they brag about the people they know in this city and they have the ultimate competition in between some of the realtors/sellers. In this episode one of the realtor a young man 36 years old had a hard attack, was taken

Read More

What Is Renee Wilson's Essay In Defence Of The Igeneration

477 Words | 2 Pages

This topic by Renee Wilson lifts the minds of a huge percentage of people who have read her essay and that of Gregory Levey. It is seen that when comparing both topics, there is a huge controversy. These two topics talk about their opinions on the changes noticed between two generations and its positive and negative outcomes and go ahead to state if they are for or against the impact of technology on students of this generation. These writers have once been teachers before and share diverse experiences. In Renee’s essay “In Defence of the iGeneration”, the title gives the reader a clear idea of what her essay entails.

Read More

In Defence Of The Igeneration By Renee Wilson

658 Words | 3 Pages

In her essay “In defence of the iGeneration,” Renee Wilson argues that today’s technology has benefitted not only the students, but also the generation as a whole. The advancement in technology allows for change, innovation and creativity that result in one of the best generations yet. Although Wilson generalizes today’s iGeneration, she succeeds in providing a compelling argument. Much of her argument is supported by scientific evidence and personal experiences that demonstrate the ability of the iGeneration to accept change and provide self-actualization. Wilson’s use of generalizations reveals a degree of disconnect between the current iGeneration and previous generations.

Read More

Have Smartphones Destroyed A Generation: Article Analysis

711 Words | 3 Pages

The omnipresence of the smartphone affects adolescents in every section of the United States, regardless of social class and ethnic background. Jean Twenge established ethos when he stated,“he had been studying generational differences for 25 years and that he started when was a 22 year old doctoral student in psychology”(2). Since he has been studying different generations for many years he knows

Read More

Analysis Of The Me Me Me Generation By Joel Stein

605 Words | 3 Pages

The article “The Me Me Me Generation” by Joel Stein mentions how Millennials are a self-centred generation who have been raised with many participation awards and parents who mistakenly believed that strengthening their self-esteem was they key to success rather than focusing more on strengthening up their character and skills. Stein mentions that the younger generation lives mostly through screens, whether those on phones, iPad’s, or computers, and believes someway that it is entitled to success without experiencing the rough situations in lifetime. Stein also presented studies showing that the incidence of narcissistic personality disorder among Millennials is massive. Stein concludes the article by mentioning that this has not taken him by surprise, because this began with their parents’ generation, the Baby Boomers, or known as the “Me Generation.” Millennials seek to make their own mark on the world.

Read More

More about Review Of The Dumbest Generation By Mark Bauerlein

Related Topics

Open Document