Mark Bauerlein's The Dumbest Generation

English professor and successful author, Mark Bauerlein attributes a lack of general knowledge to the development of complex and modernistic technology. Bauerlein claims in his best-selling novel, The Dumbest Generation that those under thirty constitute the “dumbest” generation in contemporary record. However, he does not take into account that people under age thirty have adapted their learning capabilities to this progressive media-focused environment. Bauerlein has yet to acknowledge the benefits that the information age has had on education. The digital age has revolutionized society in more ways than one, such as changing the way young people process information. The older generations should begin to embrace this new technology and help it reach its full potential within society. As a matter of fact, the information age today constantly influences students in positive ways. Virtual activity allows students to polish technological abilities and additional talents in an engaging atmosphere among peers. …show more content…
Source Eight depicts a boy in a library facing away from a large wall of novels behind him and the character is on a computer ignoring them. The title of the cartoon symbolizes the ‘shelving’ of books in preference to contemporary technology; the caricature is full of symbolism. The illustration portrays the tomes with looks of shock and fear on their spines, which ultimately represents the concern the older generation, feels for the younger age bracket and the abandonment of books for the use of modern media. By the same token, the character faces away from the shelf of volumes which correspondingly symbolizes that printed text is becoming obsolete due to information being readily available on the internet. In a like manner, the image also alludes to the progression and popularization of digital