The Dumbest Generation



In the book The Dumbest Generation, Mark Baurlein argued that teens are spending too much of their free time facing a screen such as a computer screen or a television screen. According to statistics too much screen time is affecting teen’s social skills and the way in which they interact with people one on one. I argue this because the author does not take into consideration the culture and society in which we live in along with the importance there is behind facing at a screen.

My generation, generation Y has a reputation that we are extremely tech savvy. But what is wrong with that if we are learning? “When we students are allowed the ability to use a computer we focus more on critical thinking and less on acquiring the information.” (Zieman) When we are put to work on a computer we start raking in our ‘screen time’ but we also get much more accomplished at a much quicker rate with factual up to date data.

Twenty years ago our limited sources of communication was not what we would call effective or reliable. We recently have been introduced to the internet in which gives us capability to contact those who are on the opposite side of the world within a very short period of time. A lot of us teens log on to our social communities just about everyday but I do not feel this is a negative experience when for the first time we are able to connect with someone within an instant. Our old ways such as a house phone or even a cell phone aren’t the most effective due to the area we live in.

Learning and acquiring an education can be accomplished in many different ways. “Education is the act or process of imparting or arguing general knowledge, developing the power of reasoning and judgment and generally of preparing yourself or intellectually for a mature life.” (Dictionary)

Without the television, global or political news would never be heard. Society had made great improvements due to majority of the nation processing a television.

My generation, generation Y is more advanced than ever. We are provided with modern technology within our school and the skills to use it. We are capable of completing tasks our parents wouldn’t even understand. We are placed in a society that is advancing at a rapid rate and we have to no other choice but to be a part of that and fortunately we are being benefited.