The dumbest generation by Mark Bauerlein Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The dumbest generation by Mark Bauerlein - Essay Example Throughout his book, Bauerlein concentrates on how the digital era has displaced the common and normal human life, impacting young Americans. The author compares his time period to the current generation (under thirty years of age) in terms of education and their mode of communication. After discovering the many transformations that have taken place, the author refutes technological advancements claiming that they have done more harm than good to the young generation. In chapter one, knowledge deficits, the author embarks on statistical data generated from surveys to explain how the youth are performing poorly in all aspects of life. After comparing the 2005 and 1995 test scores, the author claims that the American youth performed poorly in 2005 because of their over reliance on information technology instead of concentrating on books (Bauerlein 10). The author, however, does not recognize the role of parents, teachers and the community in education because they too contribute to aca demic performance. He does not appreciate the fact that young people are getting more information from the internet as opposed to what teachers and books can offer. In chapter two, the new bibliophobes, Bauerlein disagrees with idea of the youth retrieving information from the internet instead of reading books. He believes that it only books, which have relevant and reliable information for the young people. He considers their over reliance on media gadgets as waste of time. This is not true because the internet helps young people to learn more.