I
am a member of the millennial generation. Born in 1991, I am in the thick of
this generational concern. Bauerlein and Howe both make interesting points on
the potential outcomes of students within this generation. Bauerlein questions
millennial students’ “intellectual habits” and how they are affected by today’s
technology. Throughout history though, themes of frightening new tools and an
unfocused younger generation have been common concerns. Opposing, Howe mentions
that television shows and games have increased in their complexity since the
previous generation. He shows ACT scores improvements, and discusses how
standards have been raised for university admission. Both researchers make
strong arguments, but from my experiences as a student within this generation,
I find it hard to believe that our intelligence is decreasing.
I
feel as though my millennial generation is a well-rounded group based on an exposure
to current and hopefully accurate information. To me, our nation as a whole seems
to be increasing their intelligence with access to an abundance of information that is at our fingertips. With that said though, I believe there is an expectation
for an instantaneous action with my generation. This reminds me of Miranda
Lambert’s song Automatic…
“When
everything is handed to you, it’s only worth the time you put in it”
Students within this generation are
savvy, however, some do not seems as willing to do the work. I cannot say that
has not always been a common theme of younger generations though.
Questions:
Is
our country encouraging a lax in motivation or behavior? What about children
being allowed to stay on their parents insurance until they are 26, is this
encouraging dependence? Can the American Dream still be achieved with hard
work? While teaching materials have been adapted and fit with this generation,
do teaching methods need to be adapted as well?
Kelly, I LOVE the video you posted! The term automatic sums up nicely the differences between generations. This generation is certainly used to having things instantly and I feel that having patience is not a common virtue anymore. However, even though things have changed, I still believe it's for the better. Our world is an ever-changing place, and I can't wait to see what's coming next! :)
ReplyDeleteHaha Im glad you liked the video! I love that song and it really is one of the first things that came to mind for me :)
DeleteI'm excited about our ever changing world too. Sometimes I feel like everything must have already been invented but then something new will come out! While patience may not be a common virtue anymore I definitely feel like it should be reinstilled.
Kelly, seeing your birth year made me feel really old all of a sudden! I love the video that you posted! My niece is your age and we have all talked about how she is about living in the moment. She wants everything right now and does not comprehend saving and waiting. I like the idea of being able to keep my children on my insurance, so they can go to college and focus solely on their education. I was not so lucky!
ReplyDeleteI too am a major fan of this song and Miranda! I agree with Tina too though because I feel really old when I hear when you were born. BUT, I love that you get it and your are very lucky to be in this technology generation. I often wonder where I fit into this whole thing because I am between the boomers and the millennial. I think we have to be getting smarter with all of the advancements.
ReplyDeleteHey Kelly! We have another class together! I think kids today are very tech savvy, smart and well-rounded , can multi-task better, and given many more opportunities than when I was a kid. Girls especially! What does concern me is many kids seem to lack the drive to want to do better, the drive to be better and overcome any obstacle. Many see themselves as victims of their circumstances and not survivors. I think working hard just makes it that much sweeter when you reach a goal. As a parent it's hard sometimes. I want my kids to have more than what I had, but I want them to work hard for things and appreciate what they've got. I think I'm going to add a few more chores for them to do today:-) They haven't acted appreciative in a while! Great post Kelly!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, since I was born in 1983, I do not think our intelligence is decreasing. Like you said entrance test scores to colleges have been raised. I believe each passing year is becoming more rigorous for us in college and in the workforce. You mentioned: Bauerlein questions millennial students’ “intellectual habits” and how they are affected by today’s technology-I think technology has helped with our "intellectual habits" because more information is at our fingertips but yet I feel like it has put face to face social interaction online instead of in person. We need this interaction to know how to cope with issues when they arise. “When everything is handed to you, it’s only worth the time you put in it”-everything is right there for us now, just google it. Lol. But it is worth only the time you put in it. You get more out of something the more you work at it.
ReplyDeleteIn response to your questions, I do think that our country and society as a whole is indirectly making us less motivated. I'm not sure if this is related to technology, but I do think it contributes to the bad reputation that Millennials get. It's a difficult thing to address, because the reasons behind all of these changes, such as extended insurance coverage, are generally sincere. We are trying to increase the standard of living and make it possible for every American to be successful. But in doing so we might be creating a lazier society.
ReplyDelete