Technology In Mark Bauerlein's The Dumbest Generation

Albert Einstein once said that, “The only source of knowledge is experience”. Knowledge does not only come from a book. As a part of the Y generation, I have been told or heard countless amounts of times that it is the dumbest generation. Technology has been cited as the reason. Mark Bauerlein’s book The Dumbest Generation showcases this very ideal. However, technology actually helps us as it exercises, enhances, and challenges our minds. Because of technology, people under the age of thirty are not the dumbest generation, but instead have a different way to gain knowledge. Notably, the effects of technology on youth have been debated over for several years. Some believe that there are very harmful effects. Others believe that it is very beneficial. Bauerlein’s book has said that people under the age of thirty are the dumbest, but that is not true. Calling one generation

The ever so sagacious older generations say that technology makes youth dumb and shallow. Bauerlein states, “56 percent of 18-to29-year-olds possessed low knowledge levels” (Source 1). He also claims that the Y generation desires fun and status instead of knowledge. On the contrary, “IQ scores have been rising” and there has been a shift to “agile brains” (Source 2). This disproves his claim that this generation is dumb or vapid. Another argument against technology is that causes abandonment of old channels of knowledge such as books. This is shown in the photograph that shows the books screaming and unused while a person is typing away on his laptop (Source 8). In reality, the traditional way to acquire information from books is what changing. Books are still used today just digital copies are produced. This is leading to easier access to gain knowledge. Technology does not make the Y generation shallow and dumb nor does it cause abandonments of books; instead it just gives way to new means to procure