February 19, 2008
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So, there were these two “experts” on The Today Show this morning… talking to Matt Lauer about how Americans are “getting dumber.” I had to chuckle to myself a few times. The woman (a bit older, probably not an iPod user) was proclaiming that when students read online material, they don’t connect it to the world around them like they would if they read books. Before I even jump into her claims, I had to wonder, “DO THESE TWO EXPERTS TEACH?” Are they trying to resolve this so-called problem? Now, as for the claims about reading, it seems like this woman has never read a blog. I mean, I use my blogs to CONSTANTLY connect to the world around me. And since I read others’ blogs, I do the same. Connect to them. Whether I know them or not. AND, lastly, one CAN NOT force students to read read read. It loses all fun that way. One can only simply place a book in front of them that may spark some interest which will cause the domino effect; they’ll want to read more. I read lots of Shakespeare when I was younger; what do I read now? Everything but “him” (yea, I’m one of “those people” who thinks he was probably a she or many, many people. Blasphemous, I know.) because I didn’t connect to those plays AT ALL. Now, Catcher in the Rye, yes! Fahrenheit 451. Yes. To Kill a Mockingbird. Yes. 1984. Animal Farm. Haroun the Sea of Stories. Why Men Love Bitches. You Just Don’t Understand. Rule of the Bone.
And they just HAD to use the clip of Jess Simpson asking her then-hubby Nick if the tuna in the can was chicken or fish. In her defense, it does say Chicken of the Sea. Talk about confusing labeling. Plus, I bought some actual chicken in a can (yuck-never again), and it smelled like fish… so… yea.
Are we getting “dumber”? It depends. On definitions (listen up 120 students)… what does it mean to be “intelligent”? What does it mean to be “dumb”? It seemed like they were using the fact that, on average, we don’t know who Bill Gates is (but we do recognize Harry Potter) or where Iraq is located to claim we are dumb. That’s it? That’s how we determine one from another? Based on just those items? Perhaps what they should’ve said was that those with “book smarts” are shrinking in population, but those with “street smarts” are not. What I worry about is the small thing they covered; it’s “cool” to be “dumb.”
Comments (4)
In my daughter’s school, it seems that being smart and geeky is the cool thing. I’m encouraged by this.
I don’t agree with this at all… I’m addicted to all of the blogs I read. I read blogs that are by people my age, people in the same boat as me (young mother, engaged, etc), I read political blogs that match my views. I also read actual books as much as I can. But let’s face it: in this day and age, there isn’t TIME to sit down and read the actual paper. I do EVERYTHING online. I read the news (gasp,shock! Am I not learning just because I read the paper online?), I shop, I research things I know nothing about. In that case, I believe that I am getting more knowledge than I would any other way. Are they implying that it’s best not to read at all, rather than do it online? Insane… someone should buy her a computer. Or teach her how to use the one she has.
I think there is room in the world for geeks and those with street smarts. It seems like the media likes to generalize about us (with their advertising) and then they backstab us with the possiblity we’re getting dumber. Um, they are the ones with products not spelled correctly…
We’re also not ALL fat or lack the ambition to exercise. I like The Today Show, but some of their segments are so generalized. And they constantly focus on eating well. Constantly. In the morning, when I am starving, I could care less how much one salad is better for you than the next. If I did more research via observation, I think I’d find that they have more segments on what we are doing WRONG than what we are doing RIGHT.
Students, and Americans in general, need to be smarter than the advertising out there, smarter than the media, through critically thinking… questioning it all.
Amen sister! You nailed it. The generalizations and chopping a deep analysis down to two minutes before the break make the stories lose a lot of validity. I think that the internet is extremely useful and it’s silly to think you don’t get anything from it. But, on the other hand, my favorite thing is to curl up with a real live book. A balance, that is what we need. Props Teaher47, good post!