By God we're dumb.

[Anarchemitis]

Is this suppose to be a revelation? I am very much aware of my generation's idiocy. What's-his-face isn't making any points I'm not already aware of. In my own school I'm considered 'That Smart Kid' - most likely because I have a vocabulary that consists of more than 7 words.

Me: "Not in particular."
Random Kid: "Why do you always use big words?"

Me: "Contrarily, [responds negativly]"
Random Kid: ....what?
Me: "Nope."
My Mind: "Grhiih! I find this infuriating!"
To Mark Baurlein's argument, I can concur to the infintessimal faction of teenagers he tried and true tested for his statistic, but like many statistics, I can't abide them when they aren't conclusive, such as when the subjects are asked to participate. Random selection is a method that gives more realistic results.[/rant]
Under thirty in United States, getting me off the line.

 

[ShirleyPeanut]

I agree with the dude in the clip,

Im 17 from England and play video games and go on the internet in most of my time.

But i know that i am a fairly smart person socially, as in i know how to act around people, where to show respect and how to get my views across. I think this is partially down to me working at a store, i know its not much but it gets me talking to people and learning about life.

Some of my friends are the same apart from that job and they are (for want of a better word) social rejects. They have zero confidence and really dont know how to act at all. They get good grades but never go out and meet people.

 

[the monopoly guy]

I am very political and am very itnerested I read about it all the time and eve used to get made fun of for it. "you're too political" . Ha. Yes, there are alot fo dumb kids, alot, but you can also blaim their parents and the fact that there are alwasy dumb kids. There have always been.

 

[Alex_P]

Let me try to explain. Some of the more immersing games are filled to the brim with references to real life culture, from science and history to religion. Right?

Compared to other media? Not extraordinarily so.

-- Alex

 

[Eiseman]

Compared to other media? Not extraordinarily so.

-- Alex

Yeah, you're right. But in this forum, it's at least something we've all got in common.

 

[TomNook]

First we're just fat and lazy, then we can't distinguish between reality and (violent)video games, now we're just plain self obsessed morons who are too apathetic to do anything other than go on Facebook and talk about Britney. I might as well just give all of my vital organs to my elders since thats the only way I'll contribute to the world.

 

[CrazyBerk]

Am i the only person who finds this person irritating.
Hes stuck so far up his own ass and i'm 13 years old and i watch movies and do that sort of stuff with friends but i also like reading and doing photography.

 

[LewsTherin]

With all due respect,

I think while the speaker makes a few good points, to quote the good Mr. Croshaw he is stuck so far up his own rectum he is in danger of choking on his head. His argument lost alot of credibility when he blatantly stereotypes students, ALL students, mind you, on STATISTICS! The whole idea behind statistics is that they are the AVERAGE! The MOST FREQUENT! The are not the omniscient law of being if they are applied to you. This kind of xenophobic ranting gives those ABOVE 30, the "trustworthy" population of America, the superpower de jour (with apologies to those who speak French) a bad name, and would leave me somewhat worried about the "complete citizens"....if I was one to so flagrantly generalize. He also fails to recognise the context of most of the things he says are so very vital to functioning in society. For instance, I would be very surprised if people my age wanted to discuss the causes of the downfall of the Holy Roman Empire, or the oxymoronic implications of its name, simply because most of my friends aren't interested in such things, as I am sure not everyone OVER 30 knows about this historical tidbit either. While it IS good to know how the circumstances of the present day came about, some parts simply aren't relevant to those very circumstances. For example, while very well written, I would hardly call the works or Edgar Allen Poe or Oscar Wilde ( sorry ) required reading for a complete understanding of today's events. Victorian Era lifestyles and influences, but certainly not today. This being said, is is definitely good to be able to draw parallels between past events and those of present day, in my social class last year we were very closly following the news of one Vladimir Putin.

Personally, I really began tuning out when he used the word "fuddy-duddy"

Although the argument had faults, it sadly had some truth. I am a resident of Canada, so I can't say what people are like in the United States of America, but up here my colleages definitely are very technologically focused. But, as I have mentioned earlier as well as the speaker making points towards it, that is perfectly in context with today's interface. As to his points about the narcissism of youth, defiantly so, and it saddens me that some of my friends don't give a flying shit about global poverty or the wars in the Middle East that have been going on since time immeasurable, if biblical sources are to be believed, although not between the same people. But, this may well change tomorrow, or next week. While my associates may not be able to effectively critique the works of Monet or Chopin, but a few of them can write Python with their eyes closed and have *no joke* an upwards of 200 wpm.

Thank you VERY much for taking the time to peruse my wall of text.

-Lews Therin, a Concerned Citizen.

PS: I am under 30.

"Why don't you all fade away
And don't try to dig what we all say
I'm not trying to cause a big sensation
I'm just talkin' 'bout my generation "
-Pete Townshend

 

[TomNook]

With all due respect,



"Why don't you all fade away
And don't try to dig what we all say
I'm not trying to cause a big sensation
I'm just talkin' 'bout my generation "
-Rodger Daltry

Pete Townshend(sp?) wrote the song.

 

[LewsTherin]

With all due respect,



"Why don't you all fade away
And don't try to dig what we all say
I'm not trying to cause a big sensation
I'm just talkin' 'bout my generation "
-Rodger Daltry

Pete Townshend(sp?) wrote the song.

But Daltry sang it.

 

[UsefulPlayer 1]

Is this suppose to be a revelation? I am very much aware of my generation's idiocy. What's-his-face isn't making any points I'm not already aware of. In my own school I'm considered 'That Smart Kid' - most likely because I have a vocabulary that consists of more than 7 words.

Me: "Not in particular."
Random Kid: "Why do you always use big words?"

So true I keep getting harassed when I use big words and having to explain them.

Classmates: "What does mean?
"Who uses that word anyway?"

 

[TomNook]

With all due respect,



"Why don't you all fade away
And don't try to dig what we all say
I'm not trying to cause a big sensation
I'm just talkin' 'bout my generation "
-Rodger Daltry

Pete Townshend(sp?) wrote the song.

But Daltry sang it.

But the message came from Townshend, Daltry was just a means of expression.

 

[LewsTherin]

With all due respect,



"Why don't you all fade away
And don't try to dig what we all say
I'm not trying to cause a big sensation
I'm just talkin' 'bout my generation "
-Rodger Daltry

Pete Townshend(sp?) wrote the song.

But Daltry sang it.

But the message came from Townshend, Daltry was just a means of expression.

Meh. You win this time.

 

[revolverwolf]

So true I keep getting harassed when I use big words and having to explain them.

Classmates: "What does mean?
"Who uses that word anyway?"

I find this to be true in my school...except it goes more like:
Stupid classmate: That's a well gay word! Your gay!

 

[HobbesMkii]

Yah, we must be really stupid, because every high-powered company is leaping headfirst into all that social networking and using it as a tool for both advertising and (*gasp*) networking.

 

[Razzle Bathbone]

The following scene takes place any time between 4000 B.C. and the present day.

Older generation: Today's youth will be the death of us. They don't respect the achievements of their parents and waste their time with foolish new artistic and cultural developments. If they don't learn to be just like us, our tribe / village / city / civilization / empire / world is surely doomed.

Younger generation: FUCK YOU!

Older generation: You see? They resort to ad hominem attacks instead of reasoned argument.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Forever.

 

[sunami88]

I'm 20 (Canadian), but consider myself to be fairly intelligent (OK, so I'm not freaking Einstein here). I liked Amarcord (the only Fellini movie I've found anywhere), and have read 2 or 3 books by Orson Wells. I've been on a trip out of country (Italy trip in highschool). That's my bias out of the way.

I think my "internet generation" are fairly stupid. Look at how many people in my generation smoke! How long have we known it's bad for you? It's like I posted in another thread, I'd like to see how many people would die from lack of oxygen if breathing wasn't autonomic.

I completely disagree however that the internet constrains us "only to things that interest us". I have learned FAR using the internet than I ever would have from a book etc. Why? Because when I'm bored and google'ing/wikipedia'ing at 4am, I might come across something that I probably wouldn't have in a library.

I think this guy has a somewhat valid point, but he is pretentious and acts like everyone under 30 is mentally retarded.

HE should open HIS eyes. We're not all tards, and that's exactly what he's saying.
*/me is now thinking about writing a book "The Über-Pretentious Generation"

 

[Nikomikiri]

You know, I don't think it's the fault of the technology.
More parents are using things like video games and computers as ways to keep their children entertained rather than taking them out places. My parents used to take me to museums and places like that when i was younger, and I had fun. My mom read The Chronicles Of Narnia to me repeatedly through my early years, and I started picking up every book I could find and reading them because of it. Ever seen/read Matilda? I didn't cover an entire library but there was a point where I got bored with the kiddie books and started picking up the more advanced books, some historical(books on Ancient Egypt and such) and some just 'The Classics'.(Of Mice and men, that type of book)

The whole 'not learning thing' has a lot to do with the school system. It's never been perfect, but now it seems that a teacher can't do anyting to force a student to pay for not doing their work. A guy who was in my graduating class should have been held back about three years because he was a lazy, cocky bastard who had an excuse. ADD.
The teachers would get calls from parents about how he just couldn't focus on his work because of his disease, when the reality of it was that he was BS'ing the whole lot of them. He went out and partied almost every damn night and slept through or disrupted most of the classes I had with him. What kind of new generation are we going to see after this?

Some of these scenarios are a bit on the extreme side, but the basic point can be seen pretty well.
http://vancouverisleollie.blogspot.com/2008/07/school-then-vs-now.html

 

[DougNotDougie]

evrybody has to think about in our era plus if he tried to do the things we do i doubt he could get a working escapist profile because his era is the one wher there is no technology and still people read it doesnt mater how much as long as we keep learning and i really dont think antony and cleopatra are gonna have much impact on my life evryday.

 

[Walrus42]

Is this suppose to be a revelation? I am very much aware of my generation's idiocy. What's-his-face isn't making any points I'm not already aware of. In my own school I'm considered 'That Smart Kid' - most likely because I have a vocabulary that consists of more than 7 words.

Me: "Not in particular."
Random Kid: "Why do you always use big words?"

I'm not that smart kid in my school, but I'm the kid with a large vocabulary and that isnt bad at spelling. It's not only kids though, most adults can't name the branches of government and don't understand why it's important.