Mark Bauerlein, author of ‘The Dumbest Generation’, argues that today’s youth has had a decline in academics due to new technology in today’s economy. In retrospect, we’re growing up in a different time than the generation before us; the world and it’s products are different as to be expected, and with them we must learn new materials than they did. Today’s generation isn’t ‘dumb’, instead we’re adjusting to the times and retaining different knowledge than the generations before us.
Many older generations always thinks that the generation after theirs is ‘dumber’, and think themselves to be the superior one. Why? Well many things may factor into that, one of those being that we are more technology bound. Our generation has always been around
The Greatest Generation, is an astonishing book written by Tom Brokaw. The “Greatest Generation” is based on children who grew up during this generation while the Deep Depression was going on and who became adults during World War 2. There are strong reasons as to why Tom Brokaw considerers this generation great. The children, adults, and seniors all took part of making the generation great, most kids and teens and adults took an initiative of putting their own life aside to fight in the war, this generation had to be the be the greatest, by far. I state this, because this generation was forced to go through so many life changing events like the Great Depression, then had to face War for six years.
Samantha Nyborg LEAP Writing 2011-05 September 15, 2014 Critique Draft Megan McArlde is a journalist and blogger who focuses most of her writing on things like finance, government policy, and economics. In her article “The College Bubble,” a magazine article published in Newsweek on September 17, 2012, McArlde writes about how the “Mythomania about college has turned getting a degree into an American neurosis” (1). She focuses a lot on the value of getting a college education, and makes an argument that all the time and money spent on earning a degree may not be worth it in the end. McArlde uses several strategies to appeal to her reader’s, and does a great job of effectively using the Logos, Pathos, and Ethos appeals throughout her article.
A Rhetorical analysis of “Generation Velcro” In “Generation Velcro,” Dorothy Woodend discusses the lack of basic skills and knowledge that is being passed down from generation to generation, and how this could be a fundamental problem for both generation Y and the future of planet earth. Woodend, setting the tone for her article, asks the question, “[i]s this generation heading into a coming dark age with little more than the ability to update their Facebook statuses and watch YouTube, all with laces untied?” (par. 7). She contends that “[t]he inability to concentrate in a world of competing bits of information and constant multitasking have led to brains that can no longer keep up,” implying that this problem of concentration is inhibiting this newest generation’s ability to learn the skills necessary to sustain our world properly (par. 12).
“America Needs Its Nerds” an article created by Leonid Fridman, puts forth a pertinent issue in today’s society: intellectually adept students are ostracized. Fridman argues that smart, curious students need to stop feeling ashamed for being smart and curious. Society needs to change because their current philosophy towards intellect is one of pessimism. Fridman develops these arguments in his essay by utilizing the rhetorical strategy of parallelism, drawing conclusions, and through his use of diction.
Mid- afternoon on a blis day an article “ Anti-Intellectualism and the “ Dumb Down” of America” by Ray William appeared to be the highlight of my day. Not only does Ray William present great arguments on why the uprising generation - in context “Dumb” but the new generation has be constructed to do one thing only, Jump over hoops. Which has eliminated all acts and process of showing true intellectualness. Making Ray William completely making well-founded thoughts in the article “Anti-Intellectualism and the “ Dumb Down” of America” Why is our society taught to jump through hoops, instead of thinking outside the box?
To conclude this analyzation of Mike Rose’s essay “Blue Collar Brilliance” and Gerald Graff’s essay “Hidden Intellectualism”, Mike Rose’s essay was more effective. He gave readers examples of real life scenarios to validate his point. He used rhetorical tools that would help the more academic successful audience. He also connected with the audience labeled as “Blue Collars”, with stories from his mother and uncle
“Hidden Intellectualism,” by Gerald Graff starts off with an older argument between being book smart and street smart. Throughout the reading, Graff uses his own life experiences to critique the education system today. Points made focus on the idea of overlooking the intellectual potential of those who come across as being, “street smart”. Different authors cited in the reading to show how to accept another’s different intellectual. However, we realize that people who come across as being intellectual weren’t always labeled as that.
With every new generation of teenagers or young adults, there always seems to be this negative look towards the youth culture. What really strikes me is that it happens with every new generation. It seems like once a person hits their teenage years they suddenly become “rebels” of society, and for what reason? How do most adults see the younger generation? They are young people who have bad manners, no respect for the elderly, they are real tyrants, they do not stand up when elders walk in, they do not listen to their parents or teachers, they talk in the presence of adults, and they eat gluttonously (Socrates).
This generation no longer have to keep remembering every single material they are learning. Or have to go back to the library and spend hours to find the book they used for an assignment. As Kosil and Marcel say, “We are gradually changing from a nation of callused hands to a nation of agile brains … Insofar as new information technology exercises our minds and provides more information, it has to be improving thinking ability” (Source B). This shows people have technology right between their finger tips which enables them to think beyond just the facts. It is no longer only sticking to the facts.
Education: “Higher Education was the privilege of the few, and even upper secondary education was denied to the majority of young people in many countries” (“Fifty Years”). “Today, the great majority of the population completes secondary education. One in three young adults has a tertiary degree” (“Fifty Years”). The importance of education has increased over the years, and has become a number-one priority and/ or main focus moreso today than in the 1960s. Due to this increase, there have been more people attending college, and more opportunities have come out of this better education.
The Rhetorical Analysis of the “America Needs its Nerds” The mental capacity is treated as a disadvantage in the America, despite the fact it already helped the country many times. This long-term problem became the main topic of the Leonid Fridman’s essay “America Needs its Nerds”. The work first appeared on January 11, 1990 in the New York Times as a part of the series “Voices of the New Generation”. The author spoke about the negative attitude the American society has to smart people and demonstrates it with the usage of words like “nerd” or “geek”.
America, often lauded as a land of freedom, is a place where revolution was started and freedom is proclaimed. The United States is recognized for the prevalence of personal rights, as a place the persecuted long to reach. Leonid Fridman argues against these concepts in his essay “America Needs Its Nerds.” He suggests that personal liberties are being restricted because of “rampant anti-intellectualism” and that the U.S. will suffer future consequences in terms of world power if “nerds” are not supported.
In her essay “In defence of the iGeneration,” Renee Wilson argues that today’s technology has benefitted not only the students, but also the generation as a whole. The advancement in technology allows for change, innovation and creativity that result in one of the best generations yet. Although Wilson generalizes today’s iGeneration, she succeeds in providing a compelling argument. Much of her argument is supported by scientific evidence and personal experiences that demonstrate the ability of the iGeneration to accept change and provide self-actualization. Wilson’s use of generalizations reveals a degree of disconnect between the current iGeneration and previous generations.
Graff says street smarts offer more life skills than the education provided in school. In other words, you can be smart without being highly educated because knowledge goes beyond academics. He grew up thinking he was anti-intellectual because his writing skills were not great about the topics he’s expected to write in school. Graff describes how sports helped him excel in academics and discover his hidden intellectualism. He believes ‘’Making students’ nonacademic interests of an object study is useful, the, for getting students’ attention and overcoming their boredom and alienation, but this tactic won’t in itself necessarily move them close to an rigorous treatment of those interests.’’
In the article, “Anti-Intellectualism and the “Dumbing Down” of America” Ray Williams discusses the increasing trend of anti-intellectualism in American culture. There is an anti-intellectualism that exists in American culture that is the result of the unpopularity of being smart in High School, the lack of the importance of teachers in the U.S. compared to Japan and the effect of reality TV and pop culture. Williams indicates that one of the reasons that anti-intellectualism exists is that education in the United States is not as strong as it once was. Williams says, “After leading the world for decades in 24-34 year olds with university degrees, the U.S. is now in 12th place. The World Economic Forum ranked the U.S. at 52nd among 139 nations