'The Dumbest Generation'

Last semester, my grade 11 Media Studies teacher gave our class an assignment called, "The Dumbest Generation". A man by the name of Mark Bauerlein wrote a 284 page book about how stupid he thinks people from the age of thirty and under are. My teacher gave us a newspaper clipping of a report about the book Baurlein wrote. Our class read through it all, and asked us for our responses. Many of the students were upset by the fact some old guy took time out of his life to talk crap about us, some of the students agreed with him in some aspects, and a few of the students didn't say anything at all about the matter. At the end of our discussion, he told us we had to write what we thought. This is what I had to say:

"I agree with Mark Bauerlines' assumption that the young people of today are stupid, but I find that he has generalized the youth of today to an extreme. He's criticized everyone as if we're one person, not as individuals. As a whole, it looks like not a lot of us know about current issues or more than that, he makes it seem that we as a whole don't care. As individual people though, we are all smart in different areas and aspects. Not being up-to-date with knowledge of the world, doesn't mean we're dumb or all of us don't care.

Our generation is too consumed in pop culture of technology, socializing and the idea of being "cool". We don't find public issues, government, "the state of civilization" important because it's boring. It's a way to connect to the world but, because most of us are so self-absorbed we think we're the Sun and those issues should revolve around us instead. If it's not about us, or how our world can better from it, we don't care. The title he gives his book is a hyperbole, but his criticisms are far from an exaggeration. I think that when Bauerline implies that we need, "a good dose of challenge, of provocation, of criticism" he's absolutely right. Teens aren't taking their talent into their hands to create good for their community or workplace, they're losing it by getting sucked into the idea of "cool". By being "cool" we're losing special traits and individuality. We're laying back, being spoon-fed by our parents, and teachers, given our needs to call the day suffice; at the same time we want to be in-charge, but we're not taking any responsibility for the action we want.

On the other hand, I believe that Bauerline's paper is a bit too exaggerated. I find it harsh that he generalizes that everyone is "dumb" under the age of thirty. When I hear someone speak poorly of people my age, I feel offended. It's not that I don't try, or care, or want to take part to do better, but because there are so many of us that actually don't, our elders generalize all of us as the one that may have made the wrong impression. It makes me want to do something because, it's the people with no ambition who are the one's with the bad stereotypes, they're the ones making all of us that really do care and try, look bad.

I think that Bauerline is correct, saying our generation needs some criticism; we need a good shove in the right direction. Most of his generalizations about our habits concerning tech and the media are right on. We spend far too much time inside, on the computer syncing the latest hits onto our Ipod. All summer long we helped out Batman rake in $4.13 billion, which consisted of bluntly: a man in a bat costume saving lives, and a man with menacing clown make-up trying to kill innocent people. A hero/action movie, we all knew what was coming. But we chose to pay money for the tickets, and of course the popcorn and drink. I admit, I went to see it, and I loved it, I'm not going to lie. I thought it was amazing, but I wouldn't call myself dumb for going out to see the movie with some friends. Or for downloading a song I just heard on the radio, onto my Ipod. It's not like it's the only thing I do. Out of some of my friends, I'm the only one that's had a summer job. I have grades that are holding above a 80 per cent average. I watch the news with my parents. I have school as a main priority, along with spending time with my family. But then I also make time to socialize with friends, catch a movie and watch this weeks episode of "One Tree Hill". Don't generalize me as being stupid, because as a person, I know that I'm not.

In conclusion, I think Mr. Bauerline used the title, "The Dumbest Generation" to get buttons pushed. He wanted a reaction of the youth, to show that we're not reliant on technology and that it's making us stupid, but that we care and we value our intellect of ourselves and each other. He wanted it to be known that he's got our attention. It may not have been the type of media we were looking to get the message, but we got it in a way that we want to do something to change our elders perspectives. If we're being generalized as one bad impression, I think we should all try to do our best and show that we care and have values. However, one bad impression shouldn't be all the youth has to defend ourselves, because we're not one, we're many."