- What is your opinion?
- What might this mean when these children matriculate to the real world?
- Do you have a nincompoop story to share? (optional)
Just so you will know if you are a nincompoop or not, here is the definition obtained from www.dictionary.com
Nincompoop - noun - a fool or simpleton.
In my opinion I don't feel as if our generation are nincompoops. It's not just because I am apart of this generation, but for the most part they really aren't. Many of the kids now ACT as if they are because they are LAZY!!! Parent today do everything for children. Like the article said, "kids don't even have chores now." If parents would stop spoon feeding their children kids wouldn't have a choice but to learn how to do things for themselves. As far as knowing how to tie a shoe, that is not something you learn at school. Parents should be teaching their children things like that at age 1 or 2!! Kids don't know how because parents are doing everything.
ReplyDeleteSome people may think that our generation doesn't need to know about the old ways of doing things, like sending a letter or opening a can with a can opener, but what happens when technology fails us? Although we don't necessarily NEED these old ways of doing things it's still good to know them. Technology might not always be around, so we still to know these things. We are the future. We are supposed to teach the next generation and if we don't know these simple things who is going to teach it to them?
No nincompoop story right now...
1. I don't feel that this generation is nincompoops. Like Courtney said their just lazy. My mother taught me my number, ABC's, and how to tie my shoe when I was little. I know how to use a can opener, Ice tray, and a washing machine, because my mom took the time to show me. After she showed me I was doing it all by myself. I was probably ironing before I turned eleven. Also I'm not just blaming the kids for being lazy, but also the parents. I know that parents are busy and they feel they can get things done faster if they do it themselves but, it’s not helping your children. I agree that technology has made things a lot easier. I have a fridge that makes ice, but that doesn't mean when I go to my grandmother's house that I'm gone stare at the ice tray. I also agree that some teachers and parents don't challenge kid’s minds enough. Another thing is I'm not saying everyone in are generation is bright, but you can't blame that on the rest of the generation.
ReplyDelete2. If things keep going the way they are now kids aren't gone no way do anything in the real world. Children are gone be lost, and still calling back home to mama.
@ courtney
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about children being lazy, and parents spoon feeding them. It's time to grow up.
1. We have not raised a nation of nincompoops. This article has looked at the concept of an entire “stunted” generation too narrowly. Yes, Generation Y and Generation Z (the class of 2011 is on the extreme tail end of Y and the very beginnings of Z) are more tech-savvy and less real-world savvy than any proceeding generation, but does that really relegate us to the status of dumb? We are simply developing the skill set that our society (and parents) are telling us that we need. Most of us probably don’t remember when we didn’t have access to the internet, and since then, our school systems have emphasized the importance of education integrated with technology. There is a possible problem, though, with this makeup: Our generation has arguably less common sense than any before us. Kids today do not see the need to search for anything that cannot be found on Google. If they cannot access a person via texting or Facebook, it is almost like that person is impossible to communicate with. If the problem is not technology-related and the answer cannot be found via the internet, it is seen as foreign and very hard to deal with. Technology, though, is only partly to blame for this. Who are the real culprits? Helicopter parents. Helicopter parents are now teaching their kids that they need not struggle, Mom and Dad are here. Kids today are not taught as many cognitive problem-solving skills as kids of yesteryear. Technology has helped this along, but with most things involving child-rearing, looking to the parents is always the first step.
ReplyDelete2. It may mean that the newly-formed adults will be ill-equipped to handle to difficulties of life. Or it may mean that once the going gets tough, they will access an ability that humans have evolved to have: Adaptation. Whether a Gen Y or Gen Z will flounder or flourish in the real world is widely case-based, but consider this: with the availability of technology, kids today have more access to information and opportunities than ever before. This readiness has helped us in the sense that we have a more optimistic, anything-is-possible view of the world. We are not closed off by geographical location or lack of resources anymore.
3. I don’t have a specific story to share, but I do have a generality I would like to mention. Whatever happened to calling people? It seems that our generation is so afraid of our own voices over the telephone or maybe possible awkward silences brought on by phone conversations that everyone has just relegated to texting or internet communication (including Facebook, email.) I have always preferred talking and hope that the classic “calling someone up” will not go the way of the dinosaurs. Or worse: paper mail. At least we have museums about the dino’s.
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ReplyDeleteI don't think my generation are nincompoops by far. Of course we aren't perfect but what generation was. Every generation has been doomed to some fate by the older generation at some point. Just because people say we won't do well and we're stupid doesn't mean we'll turn out that way. Our generation is one that is more technologically based and I'll admit has difficulty with simple manual labor but that is our obstacle to work past. People sholdn't condenm us to failure because we can't mail a letter or open a can without a flip top. That's ignorant in itself. When we get to the real world I strongly believe with strong leadership we will do just fine.
ReplyDelete@Courtney I agree that we should take the time out to learn how to do some of those old fashioned things.
ReplyDeleteI feel that this generation of "nincompoops" is just being generalized as that by an older generation because the skill sets needed when they were children are so extremely different than those of modern children. Yes, it is sad that some kids cannot use a can opener or get ice out of a tray, but when it's done for you so often, you don't need to know how, especially when having it done for you is the norm. As far as tying shoes and things of that nature go, I think children should still learn these things up until our society goes to shoes without shoestrings. When a skill is not needed or out dated, it is forgotten, and I think that is exactly the case with this generation.
ReplyDeleteWhen children begin to mature and develop into the real world, I think they may need a few of these skills, but on whole, I think by time they reach that point, those skills will be outdated. I am an advocate for old school and tradition, but I don't think that you can resist change too often. As quoted in HotRod, "there's an ancient Italian maxim, that roughly translates to, "He who is resistant to change is destined to perish"
In my opinion, I do not feel that this generation are nincompoops. I know how to use a can-opener and get ice cubes out of the tray. :) Of course, to the earlier generations, it may seem that way. Kids today, however, don't really have to know how to do most of the things that past generations had to do. We've come so far in technology that we've neglected these skills of doing simple "old-fashioned" tasks, and parents have neglected to teach their kids these things at home as well. Our first teachers are our parents.
ReplyDeleteI don't think this will effect the generation as they go on into the real world. By that time, ice trays and can-openers will most definitely be disregarded and outdated.
@ Nancy I really liked your comment about calling people and talking on the phone becoming so uncool. I enjoy phone conversations as well.
ReplyDelete@ Hayden:
ReplyDeleteSpot on use of Hot Rod. And I agree with quote as well. Maybe the older generations are just afraid of the changes that technology will bring. But is their fear justified or no?
I do not believe that we raised a generation of nincompoops. Today's generation is simply lazy and spoiled by the advanced technology that we have. It all depends on what kind of home you are raised in. I believe that if you live in a poor home with alot of people then more than likely everybody plays a important roll in keeping the house in order and together. If you live a a very prosperous home then technology or other people's labor may take the place of you doing your part in your home. It also depend's on how your parent raises you. Some people are spoiled and some people are not. I believe todays generation can tie their shoe or wash clothes, they are just to lazy to do it!
ReplyDeleteFor the children that have been spoiled all their life, when they matriculate to the real world they might have alot of problems. For example, If you go to college and do not know how to cook, clean, or wash clothes then that could really affect how you are living because those are th basic skills you need to learn to survive out in the real world!
@Mercedez But what if those things are not discarded then would you still think that they would survive in the real world?
ReplyDelete@ Nancy: I definitely think the fear is justified. It people weren't resistant to change then we would not be alive, our nation would have never came into existence, and we would have never moved out of the stone age. It's that fear that causes people to examine the true effects of what they are facing so that they can make the correct decision. I also think that this change is not all bad, some aspects maybe, but on whole it is for the better as long as we don't become TOO dependent on technology.
ReplyDelete1. I don't agree that we are a generation of "nincompoops". I feel that our generation is a lot more advance than those in the past. I do agree with her point though. I feel we are partially being crippled by technology today. We are SO dependent on our cell phones and iPods that we can't really function without them. I don't believe our immediately generation has been DIRECTLY effected because WE are capable of doing things without technology. We know how to find things without technology and use ice cube trays and can openers. The generation that begins with the 7th graders now is the one the most affected.
ReplyDelete2.I believe that these children will be okay because the world is slowly turning into a "sweat free" civilization. You don't really have to work to do things because everything comes at the push of a button. You don't have to "sweat" to get the job done. So once they matriculate and become adults things will be just how they are used to them. They are raised in a time where technology rules, and when they get older, their society will be even more technologically inclined.
Our generation is FAR from being "nincompoops" . First of all, thats very DUMB and IGNORANT to deem ALL kids in this generation as those who are aliens to manual labor. Just because irresponsible, lazy, and unwise parents decided to baby their children to the point where they cant even ZIP UP THEIR JACKETS does NOT mean that ALL children in this generation are not capable of doing so. That leads to my next point; as a parent you cant give your child WHATEVER they want, spoon feed them EVERYTHING, and shove technology down their throats and not expect them to be complete idiots when it comes to life and its obstacles. If more parents would step up and actually be a parent by not only teaching their children the simple things and necessities in life but by spending time with them and showing that you love,care, and support them 100 percent, we wouldn't be having this discussion in the first place. Quite frankly, it makes me a little upset to see how not smart and simple minded some adults can be about certain situations in regard to this generation. I believe that our generation will be just fine in the end and that us becoming more "manual" will be a challenge that we will overcome with time.
ReplyDelete2. However they did have a slight point about technology handicapping this generation to the things that life lies ahead. If we continue to be SOELY dependent upon technology, and something happens to it, we wont be able to function properly as we should and could cause serious economic problems, in addition to the one's we're already faced with today.
@ Mercedes, I agree with you when you say that the things that the older generation were raised on are not really needed now because of the advances in technology. I also like your comment about our parents being our first teachers. That is the honest truth if they don't teach us then how can they possibly expect society or anybody for that matter teach us?
ReplyDelete1. I, for one, am not very fond of this article. The fact that, Beth J. Harpaz, the author, is trying to blame society, or the world, or whatever for her child's inability to do simple tasks infuriates me. The reason her child did not know what to do with an ice tray is because she never showed him or her what to do with it! She has the nerve to say we are raising a nation of nincompoops when the parents are not doing there job by teaching their children basic things such as zipping a coat. I feel that every child should learn learn how to tie shoes, make ice, write in cursive, and things of that nature just encase technology fails us. My point is don't blame a whole generation for things we don't know how to do because your generation did not teach us. Some things, we will learn on our own but not everything. Technology is very useful to us, it aids us to be more resourceful and share ideas, and some technology is good but not too much till you loose all need to think or do anything for yourself.
ReplyDelete2. When the children that have been exposed to too much technology enter the real world they will not be able to do much for themselves and it is going to be a major wake up call for them when their technology fails them. For the children who have had parents that have taught them how to do things without the use of so much technology they will have better problem solving skills and will be more productive when they are enter into the real world.
@Diamond I agree with your comments on the parents. I feel they should take ownership in not teaching us the basics. I mean think about it, all technology is nothing but an evolution from something that was, or was done, manually. You SHOULD know where you came from to better understand where you are going.
ReplyDeleteOkay, so most of the new generation doesn't know how to use some of the products that were once ultimate staples in the lives of our past generations. WE CAN'T HELP THAT! You can't just go out and assume that we are nothing but nincompoops because of that. The fact that many new technological advances have been brought about before, during, and after the start of our lives, is not our fault. In some households, kids are trained to use "manual" and "electronic" items to perform everyday tasks. I myself was raised in a household and taught at a very young age how to do basic skills that would later on in life help me. My mom taught me almost every basic I know (tying my shoes, how to read, etc.)
ReplyDelete2.I believe that it's up to the parents to teach their children to not be so dependent upon having everything basically handed to them. When they get out into the "real world", their going to get a GIANT slap in the face when reality hits. When that time comes, such as leaving for college, it's either going to make them or break them.
@Paris, I totally agree with what your saying about the "sweat free" zone. Today, all you basically have to do is press the "EASY" button and everything pretty much handles itself. Due to all the upgraded technology that we have now, people don't even have to think about how to perform tasks anymore. There's already some machine that does the thinking for them.
ReplyDelete1. I don't think that this generation is completely full of "nincompoops"; there may be SOME out there, but not all of us. A lot of the reason for this generation not knowing how to do anything is because they're lazy and technology is basically taking over the world...at a fast pace. I also think that parents these days do not have the patience to teach their children how to do common household things and they would rather just do it themselves faster. Everyone these days wants everything to be fast paced and done in a flash, and as I said, technology is part of the problem.
ReplyDelete2. When children go out into the real world, you will then know who was just being lazy and who was REALLY spoiled. If a child goes out into college and they're doing pretty well, doing they're own laundry and such, then they were just being lazy as kids. They knew HOW to do things. They just didn't. As far as the other kids, I guess they better stay close to home and take their laundry to their parents every weekend. I think that if parents don't want to be "slaves" to their kids for the rest of their lives then they better start teaching them how to put clothes on a hanger...like seriously.
3. Well, you see I can do lots of common chores. I just don't do them well and I guess it's because I don't do them often enough to get practice. But, the fact is that I CAN do them, I just don't because people would rather do it themselves because they feel as if I don't do a good job. My family says that I CANNOT sweep...but I beg to differ. :)
@Amani- I agree with how you said that it somewhat depends on what kind of home you grow up in. Some kids don't have super advanced technology or super awesome parents who have the time to baby them.
ReplyDelete*Just a side note* If you look around Bryant and get to know some people, you will slowly learn that A LOT of kids can't do simple things. I'm not calling names, but there are upperclassmen that can't tie their shoe well, and you would never know because they disguise it so well. I see it as this; you can be smart enough to "disguise" the fact that you can't tie your shoe, but you can't be smart enough to just learn how to?? Lazy.
1)I think that this is a valid concern, but at the same time i do not think that it is that serious. I think that most of the skills mentioned by the author of the article will not be necessary in the world very soon. I believe that every once and a while society goes through an evolution and new generations stop learning skills that have become obsolete. It is the same with our generation, just because we generally do not know how to churn butter, use a manual type-writer, or use farm equipment did that make us nincompoops? No. it didn't. So i think the children of this generation are just getting rid of useless skills and preparing for another change in lifestyle where these things simply are not important.
ReplyDelete2)I think that by the time these children get to the "real world" that society will have adjusted to them. Evey thing is becoming computer based now anyways. So i feel as long as this generation has a firm hold on computers and technology the that will just become the way of the future and society will adjust.
@ Hayden: Agreed. I think that the fear is what causes humans to examine the changes and make more informed decisions. In the absence of resistance, change could get out of hand and be possibly detrimental. I worry that we may be getting too dependent on technology, though I think (like most things) there will be a backlash that will cause people to reexamine technology in their lives. For instance: in the 1920's, people wasted money and spent a lot of time partying. It took a depression, but after that, America got back to being more focused on hard work.
ReplyDelete@Paris, I agree completely with your number one. This generation isn't really "crippled, is't just different.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete@Cortez. So, in the future what happens to people when they can't pay for their internet? I think they may have to start using those things in their head called "brains" and might have to actually know how to do tasks instead of rely on technology. People should learn how to change a flat tire before they get stranded in the middle of the highway without cell reception.
ReplyDelete1. My opinion is that more parents this past generation have let their kids become incompetent than any of the generations before them. I think fewer parents are turning off the TV and telling their kids to play outside, make friends with the neighbor’s kids, and get into trouble. Computers, television, Xboxes, etc seem like an easy way out for modern parents: a kid is safe at home, occupied, not breaking anything, not making messes, and not bothering anyone for hours on end. Slide food next to them and everyone’s happy. If their child gets bad grades at school, parents can ground them from their technology – it’s the ultimate punishment. I think that, at some point, the parents realize it’s no longer cute that their kid can’t figure out how the oven works. They realize that their kid is incapable of normal day-to-day tasks, and then want to say that it’s the fault of the digital age.
ReplyDelete2. I think that when these children enter the real world they try to do the best they can with the skills they do have. It’s just unfortunate for them when they have not been taught how to deal with starting out from the bottom of the socio-economic ladder, and handling everything the analog-way. I think the kids will have to learn the hard way how everything works, and ultimately will have to struggle more than previous generations with the temptations of finding an easy shortcut out of their troubles, especially since for some things there are no shortcuts.
3. I had a year in which I learned a lot about how what not to put in the microwave. In my defense, I was about 7 years old. I was hungry so I put a boiled egg, which was in a Ziploc bag, in the microwave – there was a huge explosion and not only were there little egg bits all over, there was melted Ziploc bag in a little pool on the microwave tray. I put a bottle of honey in the microwave (the ones shaped like little bears) and came back to check on it to find that the bear’s face was melting. It looked like he’d suffered a horrific stroke. That was also the year I discovered that foil CANNOT go in the microwave without the sound of a holy terror.
1. In my opinion, I do not think that our generation are growing to be nincompoops. I just honestly think that parents now are spoiling their kids; Letting them do whatever they want, whenever they want or it is simply that they are not disciplining them as they should. So kids are starting to become stubborn and act this way because they know they can get away with it and continue to get catered to by their parents.
ReplyDelete2.When they make it to the real world, Oh how lost they will be! I honestly think they will do what they can but eventually have to be taught and it is gonna be worse than what it would have been if they were taught growing up. But who do we honestly blame for there misconception?
3. I do a lot of chores and have been doing them all my life. Everyone says I do not know how to mop though but I think otherwise!
@ Jennifer
I agree with you. You might not be perfect but the main point is that you can.
@ Amani
I agree with you also. I think it takes a huge part on what type of home and environment you are raised in.
1.)I don’t think this is entirely true. It’s not that our generation can’t figure out an ice tray or a can opener, we just don’t need to. Rather than knowing how to use a can opener, we are more computer savvy. Whenever my mom or my dad need to send an e-mail, they ask either me or my sisters to type it for them because we can simply type it faster.
ReplyDelete2.)Because of modern technology, we are no longer limited in ways that past generations have been. People now have the option of working at home, or creating their own business through the internet. If someone wanted to sell a self made product, all you’d have to do is create a website on the internet.
3.) One thing that does worry me is reading skills and not knowing proper grammar. I think this will make it harder for future generations to be taken seriously.
Courtney: you made a good point when you brought up the fact that technology could fail. We need to know how to be independent of technology in case we find ourselves without it.
ReplyDelete1. I don’t think that we are a generation of nincompoops. This generation knows a lot more about technology than the previous generations. Society today calls for people to have some idea about technology. It is not the kid’s fault if he doesn’t know how to get ice out of an ice tray, because he probably has a refrigerator, that his parents bought, that has a button for ice. I don’t think that it makes him stupid, maybe lazy, but not stupid.
ReplyDelete2. Since technology is pretty much in everything now, I don’t think these kids will have too much of a problem in the real world, because they are growing up with it. Even though it is good to know how to write a check, or address a letter, how often are they going to do it in the future?
1) First off, I think its important to give due credit to all the people that can open a can and work ice trays. I don't think we're raising a nation of nincompoops. I do think that we're straying away from teaching our children basic life skills. Parents these days are offering material to kids like never before. When did people stop learning how to entertain themselves? Technology has become such a part of American's lifestyles that it takes away from learning how to do simple things. I don't think its our generations fault. We've been handed these things. What I don't want to see is our generation staying inside. I'd much rather be on a mountain than in front of my tv.
ReplyDelete2) Letting this continue is going to result in a large amount of people that don't know how to take care of themselves because they've been handed everything. These people are going to want to be handed everything instead of earning it for themselves.
@ cortez- I agree with you. I don't think we're dumb because we can't do something thats soon going to be obsolete.- "just because we generally do not know how to churn butter, use a manual type-writer, or use farm equipment did that make us nincompoops?"-. I feel that its a bad thing to stop caring to learn. I think its important for people to be able to care for themselves, to become less dependent on the easy way out.
1. My opinion of this article is that it didn't really prove much to me or teach me anything unexpected. As the author somewhat acknowledged, the argument that a new generation is getting less intelligent based on lack of mechanical skills that a previous generation possessed is completely relative, and therefore subjective to the beholder. I feel personally that I don't fit in with the generation mentioned in the article, mainly because I have always been competent in all of the skills mentioned as alien to our generation by this article. Also I feel this argument only proves that our parents are the "nincompoops" if they haven't taught us skills they think are relevant to our societal well being, which I would argue that most of the arbitrary things mentioned in this article aren't anymore. As long as we can find the means to an end efficiently and use critical thinking than I couldn't care less about clothes hangers or ice cube trays.
ReplyDelete2. When the generation mentioned becomes adults, I feel there are two large possibilities. One, some of these kids will get over their laziness in an attempt to better there lives, or two, some will continue the cycle of not educating their children about the necessary mechanical skills needed for basic living. These will strongly depend on the role of the parents (and the age) in the child's life, and the quantity and quality of an education that the child receives. Unfortunately I speculate that it may favor the latter possibility.
3. I have been fortunate to not have a nincompoop moment as defined by this article.
@Ben B
ReplyDeleteI would definitely agree with your sentiments that the concept of earning and hard work have declined dramatically.
@LNZ
Personally I don't understand what an "awkward" phone call is. It definitely shouldn't be any more awkward talking on the phone than in person because you are removing a level of intimacy and communication from the conversation. Maybe this is something I missed out on?
I agree that there is a dramatic change in our generation compared to previous generations. But looking back each generation is at least somewhat more "nimcompooped" than its predecessors. Saying that there have been new technologies and inventions that have come along and seem to have degraded the need for common sense and good work ethic. Aid has also become more widely accepted; in the early years of marriage it would have been almost shameful to receive money from the government because they could not provide for themselves. Now it's common to go to Food World and see a 18 year old mother of two whip out her WIC card with pride. Which also leads into the idea that maybe as some of our parents were younger maybe we’re lacking in some social graces and lessons passed down? Which might be stretching it a bit considering back in the day 18 was prime time to be a mother of two and housewife. But in my opinion some where we lost the ability to have those responsibilities at such a young age.
ReplyDeleteI feel like not only have we become nimcompooped but the standards nowadays allow us to advance in life with nimcompooped standards. We only have to do so much to get a long way.
1. I don't feel that we are nincompoops, like my previous classmates stated we are just spoiled by technology and our parents. They both have made it easier for us. Like Julian stated our parents should be named nincompoops considering the fact they are the ones who should have us prepared for everyday life. Even though we really don't need the old ways of life it still will be nice to know them just incase some did occur we would know them. Since some older people consider our generation nincompoops would we also consider them as nicompoops since half of them don't know how to use the electronic devices we have now?
ReplyDelete2. When children have to start living in the real world everything will be handed to them, so they wouldn't be expecting things to be hard. Like mona stated it would be good to have things like written letters but will we really use them?
1. I think it is ok for these older generations to say we are nincompoops because their older generations called them the same thing. If we really are nincompoops then that is just a result of our parents not teaching us how to use these tools. They did not wake up one day and know how to use a can opener so we can not be expected to do so. If any one has gotten lazy it was the generation before us for not taking the time to teach us. But its ok mom and dad because I think that everyone will survive whether or not they know how to get ice out of an icetray.
ReplyDelete2. When this generation gets out into the real world they are just probably going to continue to rely on these technologies that make life easier for them. When we grow up in such a technological world then were going to adjust easily to being on our own. Yes, this may lead to a lazier nation but aren't all generations lazier than their predecessors?
3. My nana got a laptop last year for Christmas and she still is not very confident using it. She pokes at keys and it takes her forever to type anything on it. It could easily be said that her generation are nincompoops for not knowing how to use technology.
@ madison I really think you hit on something saying that the standards are lower, making it easier to excel.
ReplyDelete1. To me, this article sounds like a bunch of crap. Sure some kids my age don't know how to do their own laundry, but that's their parents' fault. You can't say that the child is a nincompoop because his/her mother/father or whoever raised them didn't teach them how to do it. They were the one's who babied the child and made it handicapped. If you let your child push you over and never make them take any responsibility then to me that is bad parenting. And that doesn't mean that the child will never learn how to do something for themselves because someone will eventually come along and help them. So to call a whole generation nimcompoops, that is wrong. And the world we live in today, technology has improved a lot. Every generation gets smarter so you can't get mad when you're used to doing something manually and a younger person comes along and does the same thing at the push of a button. And I'm not saying that it's okay for young people not to know how to do laundry, or use an ice tray because it's not. But the child is not the only one at fault, it's the parent's fault too.
ReplyDelete2. When these children matricualte into the world, depending on their upbringing, they might be a little lost. But just because they don't know now doesn't mean that they can't learn. Someone is going to come along and teach them and make them a better person.
I agree with Madison on what she said about our generation only having to do so much to get a long way, and I also think that Julian and I had the same thoughts about the parents being at fault for not teaching their children the fundamentals of life. Good comments guys!
ReplyDelete1. In my opinion, if today's generation of younger children are nincompoops, it is at the fault of the parents, not necessarily technology. As time moves forward technology moves forward as well, but I believe it is meant to simplify rather than to handicap people. However, it has made our society lazy, but parents can be the counter-effect. We've all heard the saying, "It starts at home." Parents cannot simply rely on teachers to show their children everything. Basics, such as ABC's, counting, and tying shoes should be learned at home. That way, when the child begins school he/she is one step ahead.
ReplyDelete2. If children enter the real world without knowing such things, they will have a more difficult time adjusting. They'd probably get made fun of by other students. For my generation, as we are preparing to start college, we'd become more independent on technology while encouraging our own laziness, still lacking simple "real world basics" until we learn otherwise.
1. I really liked the article but i have one problem with the growing idea that my generation and future generations are being tagged with this some how lack of ability to function in society and it is looked down upon technology yet rarely is anything ever said for the fact that we are raised by our parents and if they made ud do more chores or these things then we would know how to do them that is in fact how they learned isnt it? I think that even with google and all the other technologies that exist today given good parenting and a child can still grow up and be a functioning adult in all of the best ways.
ReplyDelete2. As far as what it means for my generation is that we are going to have to raise our children better than our parents and prove our parents worng and actually be more successful than they are and not let the studies be correct.
1. My opinion is fairly synonymous with Bauerlein's when it comes to the incoming generation and their aptitude. I feel like many people are overly critical of our generation because we lack skills that they deem necessary or elementary. Society is constantly changing with what is normal, necessary, and expected, so I feel like most of these areas we lack in are a result of their declining importance. To many people our generation seems to be inefficient and defunct in many areas because of the standard they are holding our generation to. The aspects they deem as vital to a young citizen's role in society are different than ours, so it is rathe unfair in my opinion to hold them to an outdated and ever-changing social contract. Although it is true that our generation does need to learn and remember the skills that previous generations have learned themselves, so it is not like our generation is without flaw in its development. Honestly, I think this is just another transition from one generation to another. This passing of one group to the next is not really unique to society other than the interchangeable variables by which it comes. I think this is normal and healthy that the relationship between the older generation and the younger is tense and critical. That way the newer generation learns from the older one and attempt not to make the same mistakes, yet continues to progress in its adaptation to the changing world.
ReplyDelete2. I think the transition will be fine for the next generation. There will always be faults and strengths in human society, and there will always be innovative minds that change the way we do things. Our generation is no exception, so I feel that the skills we failed to learn from our previous generation will not be important as we come into our professional lives, because society is adapted to suit the generation or vice versa. I think there will be times where a mistake will be made where these old skills might have stopped the problem, but that's how life goes. History is prone to repeat itself, so I feel like this generation will be akin to its predecessors. Not without flaw, but still functional.
@Jessica:I agree with you. We need to learn all the basic things like changing a tire or mailing a letter. Like you said, what happens when we can't afford Internet? No, we aren't nincompoops, YET, but if we don't learn these simple things and technology does end up failing...then we will be nincompoops!
ReplyDelete@ Lyndsey
ReplyDeleteI feel that you're overly critical of our generation and the upcoming ones. From what I can see, you're basically accusing the newer generations of being dumber than any previous one. The issue isn't the intelligence of our generation. That is apart of the issue in some cases, but it's not like this generation isn't human or anything. They still have the same abilities to learn and adapt as the previous ones do. I think the criticalness comes from our generation's lack of knowledge in things that have been previously important in society (like mailing by letter instead of email etc.) and mechanical abilities (like car maintenance and what not). That doesn't mean our generation is stupid, that just means our interests and skills are invested in different things. And what is the deal about not being able to read and write? You wouldn't be able to do half of the things unique to this generation without fundamental education (texting, social networking, online communities, etc.). And I feel that kids who aren't able to read and write have little to no correlation with our generational problems. And that wouldn't be a fault of the younger generation anyways, even if that was the case. Who educates the new generation? Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure preliminary education is still mandated. You can't blame a fourteen year old for not learning how to read. It's not like they can say "I refuse to learn to read" when they were four. They aren't fully conscious of their life choices at that age, so it's kind of the responsibility of the previous generation to help them with that...
1. The reason today's generation of younger children don't know these basic things is primarily because their parents haven't taught them, not because of improving technology. But like many of you have pointed out, technology has made us lazy And as far as things like learning ABC's, tying shoes, and counting, parents need to start picking up the slack and teach their children these things at home, instead of being dependent on teachers.
ReplyDelete2. Thinking in terms of the "whole" as opposed to a "piece" I believe the transition will be a smooth one. There are those who will have a difficult time making it in the world because of their lack of knowledge now, but there are many more who will be completely prepared for the real world. Those people will be our leaders down the line.
@ Andrew: I think you are completely right when you said that the tense relationship between generations should help teach the younger generation to learn from the mistakes of the older one.
ReplyDeleteI also feel that we aren't exactly looking to learn from them at this point in our society. Which is a cause for concern.
@Amani I still think they'd be ok. Take for instance, there are still wooden pencils, and if you were just some major super nincompoop and didn't know how to use a pencil sharpener, you would use mechanical ones with lead already in them. I hope that example helped.
ReplyDelete@ Jessica: Haha on the microwave story. I don't think that was really a nincompoop story, though. You were seven. Sadly, there are still some adults who can't grasp what not to put in the microwave. You were just...adventurous!
ReplyDelete@ everyone who agreed that technology made us lazy I completely agree, but also I feel they have made things easier.
ReplyDeleteNot calling any specific names but I think we're quick to judge our generation and not ourselves. We all are part and while some are worse than other we all contribute to the sterotype. If we don't like it then it's up to us to change it and modify society's expectations. Or if we're ok with being labeled the nincompoops then just stay the same. We can't point fingers at certain individuals because frankly shifting blame onto our fellow peers or parents is nincompoopish.
ReplyDeleteCourtney - Great response. Good question.
ReplyDeleteTe’Kara - Good points.
Nancy - Excellent point about adaptation.
Ben - A sentiment held by every generation. Good job.
Hayden - Excellent points. Good point. Movies always borrow the most philosophical. That’s a good way to get the population to learn them.
Mercedes - Good point, but like one of your classmates said earlier, what happens when technology goes down?
Amani - Good points. Your response reminds me of Paul Willis’ work, Learning to Labor.
Paris - Why the 7th graders?
Diamond - I can hear your passion in your response.
Amber - While she sited her children’s dependency on technology, I don’t think she is shucking the blame for her children. The ice tray child was visiting. Good point on problem solving. Do you think the dependence on technology has caused a decrease of problem solving skills?
Erin - Good point, evolution happens with time. You’d be surprised at how many arise to the occasion.
Paris & Erin - think about the people who develop those “buttons.” Only if it truly was easy.
Jennifer - Good point. Today, people today want instant gratification.
Cortez - Excellent point. Technology and society evolves.
Jessica - Good points. Another factor to consider to playing outside is the negative factors, such as sexual predators. These negative factors are more prevalent than ever. LOL. How long did it take you to get over the anxiety of using the microwave?
Da’Shelle - definitely a lack of discipline in all forms.
Lena - Good points. Grammar throughout time has also evolved. For instance my generation never put an apostrophe before the word and.
Lyndsey - LOL. That’s what my generation thinks about your generation. You are right in that too many parents have become helicopter parents. Andrew’s response was very good. He made many excellent points.
Mona - Good points. I used to write 25-30 checks a week, now thinks to technology I write maybe 3-5.
Ben - Good question and the answer would be with the invest and influx of technology. Examples would be the Atari, arcades, and the Playstation.
Julian - Good response. Very insightful to turn around the focus to the parents.
Madison - Did you read the article? I think that each generation sees the younger generation in somewhat of the same light, but from that point on, I’m not sure you read the article.
Chasity - Good points. Yes, the older generations don’t have the command of technology, so in that aspect maybe they can be labeled nincompoops.
Megan - Good points. Are we lazier in general or has technology made that possible?
Deja - Good points. Something to think about. Does every generation get smarter or are people just as smart as usual and technology just makes society seem smarter?
Michael - How do you propose parents counteract technology? Also, do you mean dependent on technology?
John - Please proof-read.
Andrew - Excellent post.
Matt - Good points.