There is an underground campaign slowly spreading through the rank and file of many academics, journalists, and other individuals. This campaign can be aptly named the Digital Stupidity of the Younger Generations. I have been reading quite a few posts recently about the lack of “true” intelligence in the digital generation. Frankly, I’ve reached my breaking point. Thanks to The Independent, a newspaper based out on London, I have finally gone over the edge of annoyance to downright anger.
Andrew Keen has a post on Digitally Addicted Kids Threaten to Return Civilisation to the Dark Ages. Here is a brief synopsis of the post from the author:
The internet is creating a generation of ignoramuses with tiny attention spans, who will surely become the dumbest generation in history.
Andrew starts the post by talking about Megan Meier, a teen who committed suicide over the cyber-bullying of a peer and the peer’s mother. This is a sad story of a social network being used in the worst possible way. I haven’t quite figured out how it connects to the increasing lack of intelligence in my generation.
From Andrew’s Post:
In The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes our Future, the Emory University English professor Mark Bauerlein demonstrates how the internet is making young people increasingly ignorant about almost everything except online video games and the narcissism of self-authored internet content.
I don’t know about the rest of my generation but I am getting pretty tired of being stereotyped.
Would you like to know one of the main reasons why kids spend too much time playing video games? Why do you think teenagers spend so much time on social networks like Myspace and Facebook?
Parenting.
There has been so much blame placed on media and technology for the lack of intelligence in my generation. In reality, the majority of the problem is in the older generation and how they have raised the younger future. If you want your kids to read. If you want the younger generation to pick up a book instead of browsing blogs… encourage us.
Do people like to be judged?
I would rather not read degrading posts and comments around our lack of inhibition or intelligence. You are stereotyping an entire generation of future business leaders, politicians, service workers, teachers, and everything in between.
We need to take a look at all areas of the problem and not just video games or social media. Social Media has been a huge influence in my life, both intellectually and personally. If you are going to completely degrade something that has had a large impact in my life… do it with some class because you are embarrassing yourself.
