Change.

“Increasingly disconnected from the "adult" world of tradition, culture, history, context and the ability to sit down for more than five minutes with a book…”

“Writing off any generation before it’s 30 is what’s dumb.”

The two quotes above came from separate articles. However, it wasn’t until I looked at both together that my thoughts began to stumble. I think it’s probably important to note, first, that I did agree with a lot of what both articles talked about. In fact, I think it would be nearly impossible for anyone to disagree with the facts and truth put forward in both articles, and by Mark Bauerlein alike. Yet, I’m not really the type of person that likes to sit back when someone is criticizing me, my friends, or in this case, even my entire generation for that matter. So, I couldn’t help but agree and be understanding of what facts the articles presented about our generation, but this doesn’t mean I’m just going to lie down and take what they have to say. I think we, as part of what is all but officially being termed the dumbest generation, have some “room to talk” this time.

I just want to start by mentioning how the word “tradition” from the first quotation really bothers me. It mentions how we are seemingly “disconnected from the ‘adult’ world of tradition.” Why does this necessarily make us in some way or another, a weaker generation? Just because we aren’t following tradition, we aren’t “going with the flow”, doesn’t me that we should be any less credited for what we ARE doing; or at least in my opinion. Sure, we may lack knowledge in some areas, those “traditional” areas, but we more than make up for it in others; others that may seem not as efficient now, but that may end up engineering “an affordable 100mpg car”, or “discovering the difference in the genetic fingerprints of cancers that spread and those that do not...” Both of which would involve technology, the source that has supposedly been the source for this “dumber” generation.

Next, I just want to point out that, yes, we are a different generation in many ways, but who’s to say that this makes us any better or worse? By attacking our knowledge the way that Bauerlein seems to be doing in his book, he is doing nothing less than attacking us for not living up to expectations. Yes, we are a different generation, full of technology and sorts, but the generation before us was different from the one that preceded them as well. I’m quite positive that the generation that came before us didn’t know as much about, for example: nature, than did the generation that came before them! Sure, our generation may be “dumber” in some aspects, but we’re also more intelligent in others.

“Writing off any generation before it’s 30 is what’s dumb.” When a group of kids who knows nothing about, for example, politics now develops the cure for cancer in 5 or 10 years will critics, and Bauerlein alike, still question our knowledge as a generation?

In this ad, Barack Obama preaches about “change”. He mentions how change is needed. Granted, while he is talking about our economy and health insurance, we are talking about the actions of an entire generation. My point being, however, that maybe change is a good thing in this case too. Just think, the generations preceding ours weren’t exactly perfect after all! Similarly, our economy isn’t exactly perfect right now either. Change could be the answer in both scenarios. Who knows, maybe we do know a little about politics after all…