The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes our Future (Or, Don't Trust Anyone Under 30)

Bauerlein, M. (2009). The dumbest generation: How the digital age stupefies young americans and jeopardizes our future (or don't trust anyone under 30) . N.Y., N.Y.: Penguin Group.

Mark Bauerlein daring thesis, seeks to expose the realities of the digital age and "blunt the techno-zeal" he feels is taking over the classroom and setting the tone for a dangerous lack of literacy and intelligence in today's youth. He shows in his book evidence pointing towards an unbalance between access to media in relationship to the intellect of kids today. Referencing studies from organizations such as NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress), NSSE (National Survey of of Student Engagement), Kaiser Family Foundation Program for the Study of Media and Health, Bauerlein attempts to make the case that too much screen-time, online learning, irreverance towards the past, and the betrayal of mentors is at the root of the problem of kids not becoming mature and mindful citizens and why we need to take a closer look at knowledge deficits and what this means for the future.

Quotes to ponder:

"As these young people forge their personalities in an uncertain world, they skirt from one of the customary means of dong so--that is, acquainting themselves with the words and images, the truths and beauties of the past--and nobody tells them they have overlooked anything"(172).

"The real problem is, by democratizing speech and the ability to post, we've lost the gradation for quality(159).

"With the read/write/film/view/browse/message/buy/sell Web, adolescent users govern their own exposure, and the didactic and artistic content of smarter sites flies by unseen and unheard"(159).

"Knowledge will reside less in the minds of people and more on the pages of Web Sites"(101).