Book Review - "The Dumbest Generation" by Donald Baurlien

Book Review - "The Dumbest Generation" by Donald Baurlien

Within this 2008 publication, Baurlien raises a warning flag about the "Millenial" generation. He decries a youth mentality spawned of electronic kids toys and the Internet.

The virtual world requires a spacial kind of thinking. Thought patterns required for reading books leans toward a more linear type of thinking.

Baurlien's documentation covers an age group that reaches from infancy up to 29 years old.

He tells of an intolerance towards reading books, and how easily a kid can get bored. The fast pace of electronics is to blame.

This read did force me to take a hard look at the outcome of the electronic revolution. I also felt the plight of tired moms coming home from work using "electronic baby sitters."

Rather than having kids in the kitchen while she works, mom gets to completely sidestep tripping on kid's toys. (At this point this reader stumbles upon more citations.) It seems infants as young as three months old watch television with remarkable concentration.

Challenging the educational qualities touted by Internet enthusiasts, Baurlien continues. The "new bibliophobes" carry cellphones, and have their own computers. Read on for more statistics about our nation's youth.

1.) On top of the basic techno gadgets, 25% of kids in the group of third to sixth graders sport digital cameras. This figure moves to 43% within the sixth through twelfth grade range.

2.) Video cameras echo of similar stats for both of these groups. DVD burners - 31 to 59%, with video game players taking a whopping 55%.

3.) Also referred to as the .net generation, these kids see themselves as unique. Evidence supporting this phenomena shows up in a 367% growth rate for MySpace in one year, and something close to that for the previous three years.

Comparing the Hippie revolution to the techno generation movement brings out a few similarities. Yet there's a profound departure when it comes to the virtual world.

"They play rock and roll and hook up at parties just like Boomers, and Xers did, but their parents never loaded a thousand songs into a palm sized gadget..." says Baurlien.

The bulk of Millenial kids have all the electronic trappings in their own bedrooms. The social networking and close bonding with friends creates a powerful group element as never seen before in history.

I can't deny the massive undertaking of this publication. Almost encyclopedic, this book has indeed provided a contribution to humanity. I can also understand, as a writer, why a sensational title is necessary, but . . . why so mean sounding?

The Dumbest Generation grabs attention, and provides food for thought - a basis showing the need for literacy damage control concerning our nation's youth.

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