A Dumber Generation

FAOL Community Sound Off
1

I just need to express my severe disappointment in the situation many of today?s young people are in. First off, let me just say that I?m still a youngster myself (mid 20?s).

I have an 18 yr old sister in law who, to me, is about as dumb as a box of rocks. Don?t misunderstand, she could be smart, she certainly has the capacity to retain information and use it wisely. The problem with her (and, in my eyes) many of today?s kids is that they live in a society of laziness. They don?t have to use it, so why retain and learn it? If you never had to use your fly fishing knowledge you would loose it too. We have become so technologically advanced that kids don?t have to do learn to do anything for themselves because their computer will do it for them. If the computer doesn?t, then their cell phone will!

I realize that I may sound like an old codger here, but rest assured that I didn?t walk uphill in the snow, both ways to and from school with no shoes on. I did, however, spend a lot of time walking up hills in the mountains and playing in the big field behind our house. I didn?t go to a one-room school house, but I had to learn to read and write from books, not computers. The first computers in my grade school had green and black screens and played only one game: Oregon Trail. Maybe I didn?t have to use 2 cans and some string as a telephone, but I had never even seen a cell phone until I was in high school and it was as big as a football. And, (oh my gosh I know!) there was no such thing as IM, PM, TTY, BTW, IMO, IMHO, URL, PDF, OMG, FWIW, TTYL, or any of that CRAP! (Sorry, I only know few). We actually had to learn how to spell and write things out. My sister in law, mentioned above, literally talks and writes this way. During my senior year of high school and throughout a lot of my college writing classes teachers have had to explain (I am not joking) that these acronyms are not an accepted method of communication for student papers!!

They don?t have to learn grammar and how to verbally communicate properly, because they can just send a text message with a bunch of garbage and letters thrown around. They don’t need it, so why retain it? These kids are monsters that we have created because we are too smart for our own good. The things that we have strived to achieve technologically are the very things that contribute to what some have labeled the ?Dumbing of America.? We are breeders of laziness and mental atrophy and farmers of irresponsibility in our young people. The irresponsibility is a slightly different tangent but is certainly connected.

I realize that this rant is only made possible through these technological advances, but I?m pretty sure that God created marijuana for a better reason than getting people high too. (For those of you who texted your way through your English classes, this is an example of a metaphor.) I would be interested in hearing your responses to this claim. Please understand that, bottom line, I am not against technology but I am against the application of that technology in many instances, particularly in hindering young minds and backs. Sorry for the long post, but I do feel a little bit better now.

2

wow…
im 14 and i would say im not dumb as a box of rocks or something like that.

i dont text my way through english class. i focus in that class, as well as all my others, my texting and other cell phone crap can wait until i get a break or lunch!

im not saying im a special case, i text(not in class), have a fancy cell phone that has internet and all kinds of specialties on it, have a fancy computer that does lots of stuff, and plenty of other little technological things like my ipod and other junk like that. Am i dependent on technology?? maybe i am… so what?? it seems like everyone has some type of technological thing that they like. and we can be dependent on them because they are always there and always work.
and im not sure about others but i do communicate properly and know how to spell, have a good vocabulary, and am alright at grammar…

were not all as dumb as paris hilton who doesnt know how to pump her own gas!
im not offended just venting my opinion

3

Wild One–

What you made was an analogy rather than a metaphor, but I do see your point.

flyandtie-- I’m guessing there are still a lot of young folks out there like yourself that still cultivate your mental capabilities. I know of a couple others myself 8) Keep it up! Wild One is commenting on a trend, not neccesarily accusing EVERY young person of following it. Am I right, Wild One?

4

Chris,

I assumed that you would be the first to reply to this post and I am glad that you did. There are always exceptions and although I haven’t ever met you, I do the idea from your posts that you certainly are an exception. This was a blanket statement and as all blanket statements do, it should not cover every member of the group it is targeted at.

You may be included the exception, but I’ll bet you know plenty of kids who fit this description like a glove.

5

I stand corrected and debated what label to apply (analogy v metaphor). You are correct in both cases!

6

Huh…Wow…That seemed a bit uncalled for and presumptuous. But hey I’m 15 so what does my opinion matter anyway?! Sad thing is that there is truth to your statement; it seems that the majority of my generation are lazy, rude slobs that know nothing, and don’t give a damn about the environment or anybody else’s feelings. Unfortunately, they give a bad name to my generation, including myself whom you have unfairly labeled. I will have you know that I am not as dumb as a box of rocks, I have a 3.9 GPA, and I am scheduled for AP classes; I don’t consider myself or many of my friend as dumb and lazy. Sure technology has sped up life and made it easier, and yeah I do have a cell phone. That doesn’t mean I use acronyms like OMG, TTYL, ROTFLOL, etc. It just seems like you have made a rude generalization about my whole generation, rather than having the courage and common sense to speak up to those like your sister-in-law who give us a bad name. But my opinion aside, I truly hope there will bbe no hard feelings. I just wanted to give my honest opinion, and maybe open your eyes to see that my generation isn’t that bad. Really, no hard feelings! :slight_smile:

Nenbran

7

haha :lol: :lol: i definately know some of my friends are dumber than a box of rocks for sure!!! and they fit your description perfectly! haha

8

This is a very interesting thread so far… im liking it. And im waiting to see what interesting responses come out of it.

9

haha yeah…Wow…I hope I’m not in trouble for my last response. :lol:

Nenbran

10

In toruble with who?? castwell and ladyfisher??? i dont think so

another thing i will chime in with is how “SOME” of our younger generation are becoming increasingly obese, wearing clothing that is many sizes to big, and having little or NO respect for their gear or things. :?

sorry about that just popped into my mind…haha

11

Wild one, I think you might have opened a can of worms here, good luck.

12

I agree Chris. Mark is right though Wild One. You just opened a can of worms. Smelly worms.

Nenbran

13

Folks,
This argument is as old as the ages. There are good and bad in each generation.

14

I believe that too.

I have friends from my generation that were dumber than a box of rocks. Lazy too, some of them. I am from the mid 1940’s and grew up in the 1960?s. The age of Pot stashes, free love, Hippies and the like. There were dire warnings about my generation going straight into the dumper. However the 60?s also saw the beginning of the Civil rights movement fuelled in part by students. I?m proud of my generation. Most of us weren’t dumb or lazy, most of us went on to become productive members of society. Some of my pals that I fully believed would become duds surprised the hell out of me, going much farther than I thought they would. Heck I even went farther than I thought I would after a very shaky start.
I doubt that the other generations between the 40s and the 2000s were any different than mine. Some may say Yeah but today?s technology is much different. To Them I say, my Granddad remembered the advent of radio. I remember when television came to our valley. Some said it spelled an onslaught laziness and the death knell of education and sports as we knew it. Well the same teams still play down at kings park that played there when I was growing up. The players have changed but the teams live on. Today?s generation holds no regret from me, with the odd exception I think they will be just fine.

TTFN :lol:

15

Have to agree with the originator of this thread. I’d like to add something else: (This is a generality) The current generation, ages 10 - 20: is lazy; overweight to the point of obese; out of shape, couch or desk riddent, have no concept of strenuous physical activities, don’t engage in individual much less team sports; are not permitted to play any game in which they might scratch their body or get a 'Charlie Horse, lest a lawsuit be filed by the parents; are often not permitted to play competitive games in which someone or team actually ‘wins’, meaning the other team ‘loses’ (mustn’t hurt the little kids feelings); etc.

What gets me, and I see this often in the supermarkets. Obese, and I mean obese individuals, driving around in the mechanized shopping carts. They often have all kinds of fast foods, snack foods, candies and sodas in the cart. Often when you see these people accompanied with their children, the kids are developing along the same lines. How can we (society) expect the children of these people to have healthy diets, be physically active and pursue a healthy lifestyle?

Enough of this. I can rant on this topic for a long time.

Oh, and has anyone seen the program with Shaq? He’s working with several obese kids, trying to get them into some semblance of shape and trying to get PE back into the schools. Good luck to him.

Deezel

16

Smart and dumb have many different meanings. Truth is, every older generation thinks the younger generation is dumber. Truth is also, if you look at the knowledge base, they continue to get much smarter. Picture Columbus knowing how to go to the moon. Or curing polio.

But smart means different things. While we have gotten smarter in many ways with each successive generation, we still have not solved many of our collective problems. I remember the flower generation was going to solve the problems caused by war. This is the generation that controlls our country now.

But man continues on his way. And some problems get solved and some don’t. But I have faith in my children, and my grandchildren. And I know they will try to do the right thing. And I know all of yours are, as a whole, trying too. So, dumber or not, they will endure.

Bob Bolton

17

I’m not worried about young people doing dumb things, because it doesn’t take a genius to figure out you have to work hard and consistently show up for work. I have a generation gap with my son and it has been uncomfortable to learn that it isn’t as simple as picking up the phone and talking to him. I have to leave a message, be put on speaker phone, “DAD I have another call coming in!” :frowning:
You’ve got people with phone headsets talking to themselves, people who must be addicted to their cell phone and unbelievably insecure. “I know I’m at lunch with a guest but I just have to take this call and show everyone I’m rude and thoughtless!”
Communication NOW is a transition and education for me. I WILL learn because my Son is more than worth it.
Doug

18

I have trouble calling someone “dumb as a box of rocks” when they can actually figure out how to USE all the features of a cell phone. Mine rings when people call me. Usually. And I can, usually, get it to call the people I am attempting to call.

Today’s generation is learning a different set of skills than the one I, or my parents, learned, and needed to survive in society. Why take the time to learn to butcher a cow when all your meat comes from the store? Why learn how to fix your car when the car is computer-operated and it takes a hundred thousand dollars worth of diagnostic stuff just to tell you what is wrong? How many of you know how to shoe a horse, or could smith up a part for a farm implement? How many of you know which plants along the stream bank are edible and which aren’t, and which ones would be good medicine for certain things? How many of you could survive if the electricity went off for good?

Each of us acquires the knowledge and skills we need to get by in OUR lives. What people outside of our lives think of that skill set is irrelevant.

19

When I was a young man , I just knew that my Dad was totally out of touch with the "modern world( this was in the 1970s, talk about a while ago) and as such was an idiot. :frowning: He on the other hand was convinced that jail or the dirt nap was in my near future 'cause he was sure that I was dumber than a large box of rocks. :shock:
I have gotten a lot “older” than I was in the 70s ( no dirt nap yet) and have NOT ended up in jail. 8)
Dad isnt an idiot (and more than likely was’nt at the time) and (its still a matter for conjecture) I AM smarter than a box of rocks. :smiley:
As a kid most of my pals and I would take the easy way and do the most fun things that we could do.
Seems to me that most of us woke up in time to grw up and if we werent blazing success stories we did manage to make livings for ourselves and families.
Dont be too hard on the young morons of today.
They are just keeping up with the young morons of yesteryear.
They may actually turn out ok.

20

Now you young 'uns don’t go short changing your generation. While it is true that we are finding younger people to weigh more and exercise less and technology playing an ever increasing role in everyone’s life that does not mean that people are dumb or dumber than the generations that preceeded them. I see young people volunteering to help victims of Katrina when most others have forgotten the need. I see young people going off to protect us in foreign lands (wether or not you agree with the war it is still impressive that young people volunteer to put their lives at risk for others).

Baggy cloths, who cares, flabby body… that’s different. Every up and coming generation in recent times was always viewed as lazy and without motivation. Yours is no different. Deal with the issues you see, but fear not your generation will do its part when the time comes.

jed