BAUERLEIN

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Bauerlein, Mark. (2009) //The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or Don’t Trust Anyone Under 30).// New York: Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Mark Bauerlein took a very hard line when looking at how technology affects today’s youth in his book, “The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future.” As one gathers from the title, Bauerline sees technology as hampering not helping today’s youth. He feels technology has cut the youth off from a world filled with important issues that are waiting to be discovered. “Or a better way to put it is to say that they are encased in more immediate realities that shut out conditions beyond – friends, work, clothes, cars, pop music, sitcoms, //Facebook//” (Bauerlein, 2008, p. 13).

A positive aspect of this book was that many of Bauerline’s claims were supported with statistics from various studies. He began by breaking the findings down by discipline which included findings from History, Civics, Math/Science/Technology and Fine Arts. The findings were alarming. As I read, I often found myself asking how can technology be so plentiful and answers to questions be so close at hand but not translate into results in these fields. His claims did not stop there, he also cited studies that showed that today’s youth were not ready to perform at a college level or enter the workforce. While quoting employers and college professors some of his claims, while harsh, were hard to ignore.

To take such a hard view of technology and youth seemed very counterproductive. I viewed his harsh outlook to be a negative aspect of the book. Chapter after chapter of technology and youth bashing began to take away from the overall message of this book. There was also very little advice given as to how to make technology more useful. The most useful information came from chapter 5 and it dealt with mentors playing a more active role in the youth’s lives as a source of positive influence and a window of sorts into a more engaging and productive world. He shows this view with his quote “If the guardians of tradition claim that the young, though ignorant, have a special perspective on the past, or if teachers prize the impulses of tenth – graders more than the thoughts of the wise and the works of the masters, learning loses its point” (Bauerlein, 2008, p. 186). Even when trying to state positive advice Bauerline seemed to take a negative approach.

In closing I found this book to be both eye opening and at times offensive. The harsh truth of the results Bauerlein utilized did ring true and should spark debate as to how technology is utilized in the future. But he provided none of the necessary advice about how to utilize technology that will not go away, and in fact, will multiply until it is evident in the lives of everyone. So, is it up to the elders to provide balance for this technology crazed youth or can we learn to utilize this technology as the learning tool it can be. Unfortunately, after reading Bauerlein’s book this question remains unanswered.  RAY A. SANCHEZ  ...........................................................................................................................................................................