false 2269399 2 <B>This shocking, lively exposure of the intellectual vacuity of today’s under thirty set reveals the disturbing and, ultimately, incontrovertible truth: cyberculture is turning us into a nation of know-nothings.</B><BR><BR>Can a nation continue to enjoy political and economic predominance if its citizens refuse to grow up?<BR><BR> For decades, concern has been brewing about the dumbed-down popular culture available to young people and the impact it has on their futures. At the dawn of the digital age, many believed they saw a hopeful answer: The Internet, e-mail, blogs, and interactive and hyper-realistic video games promised to yield a generation of sharper, more aware, and intellectually sophisticated children. The terms “information superhighway” and “knowledge economy” entered the lexicon, and we assumed that teens would use their knowledge and understanding of technology to set themselves apart as the vanguards of this new digital era.<BR><BR> That was the promise. But the enlightenment didn’t happen. The technology that was supposed to make young adults more astute, diversify their tastes, and improve their verbal skills has had the opposite effect. According to recent reports, most young people in the United States do not read literature, visit museums, or vote. They cannot explain basic scientific methods, recount basic American history, name their local political representatives, or locate Iraq or Israel on a map. <I>The Dumbest Generation</I> is a startling examination of the intellectual life of young adults and a timely warning of its consequences for American culture and democracy.<BR><BR> Drawing upon exhaustive research, personal anecdotes, and historical and social analysis, Mark Bauerline presents an uncompromisingly realistic portrait of the young American mind at this critical juncture, and lays out a compelling vision of how we might address its deficiencies. 2275419 15 5 2008 The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future total:189|5:17|4:48|3:73|2:32|1:19| 189 579 459 80 4 4 false false Mon Apr 06 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Feb 28 12:10:44 -0800 2009 Tue Jun 16 13:09:45 -0700 2009
His premise is simple but chilling. Bauerlein argues that on a daily...more...]]> 4 3 false false Mon Oct 13 07:26:01 -0700 2008 Tue Nov 11 12:42:58 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 1 false false Wed Jan 28 08:31:33 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 28 08:50:50 -0800 2009 more...]]> 1 4 false false Sat Nov 29 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Sep 29 15:26:47 -0700 2008 Fri Dec 05 10:03:21 -0800 2008 more...]]> 1 2 false false Thu Oct 09 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Dec 13 10:57:44 -0800 2008 Sat Dec 13 10:59:55 -0800 2008 more...]]> 2 0 false false Sat Mar 28 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 28 06:15:58 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 28 06:26:14 -0700 2009 more...]]> 1 3 false false Fri Apr 24 16:26:50 -0700 2009 Fri Apr 24 16:39:49 -0700 2009
I feel horribly insulted.

I mean, seriously. Are you saying that ALL young people today are dumb? That's pretentious and arrogant. Excuse me, but I don't spend all my time on social networking- in fact, very few hours indeed. And when I do, it's to talk to people ...more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Jul 13 08:09:17 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 18 11:20:35 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Fri Sep 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Sep 12 14:17:45 -0700 2009 Fri Sep 18 17:58:47 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 1 false false Sat Jul 25 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 21 11:57:57 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 29 11:54:59 -0700 2009 more...]]> 0 0 false false Fri May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 07 17:33:08 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 07 17:40:00 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Mon Jul 06 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 07 21:56:38 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 07 22:05:58 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Nov 22 14:57:49 -0800 2008 Sat Nov 22 15:04:46 -0800 2008
Like any author who lays blame, and points a finger, Bauerlein offers a premise that will be fodder for criticism. Some will dismiss this as just another dumbing down of America book and label him a curmudgeon....more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 04 19:54:20 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 04 19:58:59 -0700 2009
What do they do with all that time and money?
* download, upload, IM, chat (check)
* watch television and play video games (check)
* do not read, even ...more...]]> 2 0 false false Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Nov 01 08:41:18 -0800 2009 Fri Nov 06 07:00:40 -0800 2009
He is much more effective at getting his thesis across--that our recent ...more...]]> 1 0 false false Thu Feb 19 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Wed Feb 04 16:46:13 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 19 18:41:14 -0800 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Feb 16 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 09 09:06:30 -0800 2009 Tue Sep 29 13:10:47 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Oct 14 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Oct 07 20:19:12 -0700 2008 Tue Oct 14 16:41:12 -0700 2008 everything bad is good for you as this month's selection.. i wanted to get a balanced view (though not exhaustive, with only two titles!) and so picked up this one as well.

liked it, but it echoes hirsch's cultural literacy without be...more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Oct 01 14:15:39 -0700 2008 Wed Oct 01 14:23:40 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Oct 11 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Sep 08 18:19:53 -0700 2008 Sun Oct 12 07:44:27 -0700 2008 more...]]>