GamePolitics was cool enough to introduce the world to Emory University professor Mark Bauerlein. In an interview with Canada, Bauerline talks about his ridiculously largely titled book The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Don't Trust Anyone Under 30). At one point in the interview, Bauerlein spouts that the “digital age” and its crazy contraptions like the Internet, blogs, and videogames has made us all idiots.
Something insidious is happening inside their heads. Young Americans today are no more learned or skilful than their predecessors, no more knowledgeable, fluent, up-to-date, or inquisitive, except in the materials of youth culture.
Emory earned his doctorate in English at UCLA, which clearly gives him the academic groundwork to write about the psychological and physiological ramifications that the 21st century has had on young adults. Fortunately for us, we’re too dumb to realize these things and therefore will stay in the dark forever.
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Contest:
5:27 PM on 08.20.2008
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need proof? look at all the family guy fans out there
In that sense I agree with him, however I don't think the youth are getting dumber overall.
Also what does he recommend we do about it? Get rid of the internet??
Studies show that IQ has increased steadily over time. No one I know over 30 can do an integral, or has any interest in the sciences or scientific advancement. They have no personal philosophy other than the ideas pounded into them since birth, and they tend to live adequately mediocre lives. They don't read books, except tripe like romance novels and poorly worded serial killer crime sagas.
Old people are stupid. Yeah, a lot of kids these days are dipshits, but most kids are always dipshits, and they grow up to be old dipshits.
Stupid people are stupid. That is all.
Who needs to game when there are PhDs to earrrrrrrrn...
You spell his name in two different ways on the same line.
You also said that a college got its degree at a college.
Other than that, I'd have to agree and disagree with him in a way. I'd really need comparative graphs to express what I'm trying to say, but I'm too lazy to make them so I'll poorly explain it. Technology is, all in all, raising the average intelligence of most human beings, and it's allowing the very smartest of the curve to extend out even further, but it's also drawing those that are above average but not too far ahead back in. You could think about it like a black hole in the center of the graph, I guess. Those that are far enough away from it aren't as effected by those who are near it.
"the ability to retain that information isn't as necessary as it once was. But what's gaming got to do, got to do with it?"
Oh God, this made me laugh so hard.
On the other hand, like sweetchuck said, the internet has made an incredible amount of information available to everyone if they choose to accept it. The non-dumb ones will, and will be better for it.
I think he's just being sensationalistic to pander to the baby boomer's fears in order to sell some books. In the article he claims he gave the book that ridiculous title to grab the attention of young people, but I really doubt his sincerity. I think he just wants his 15 minutes on Glen Beck.
And then it went on to say that the probable cause of this was their roommate's gaming was distracting the student. Not the student actually playing games themselves.
As for actual mental ability, I do suspect that increased access to the multitasking functions available with the internet, cell phones, etc, has had an effect on certain generations' thought processes. However, I don't think we're any dumber, just more ADD. You can be smart and still game and watch TV, you just have to know when to switch it off and actually do something constructive.
Jesus, I sound like my dad. o.O
In Holland, kids can no longer write normal Dutch anymore it seems, but that doesn't mean they can't handle themselves or interact with things intelligently. There is just a lack of oldschool quality control with most things, it seems.
But think of all the MMO's who take their group management skills to the workplace, there are already studies that show that these skillsets are highly valuable and managers are even getting some courses in the same kind of stuff to become better group leaders.
The guys in the picture are obviously madden freaks of nature, and a smoking a little of those sucky GTA games on the side while hid buddy there paints his body in a lustful fashion.
And yes I know I'm lumping demographics but I can do it since this dolt does the same thing ;).
riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight
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