What's With Kids Today? Stupid? Maybe. Ignorant? Yes.

In Philadelphia Magazine, the article “Is It Just Us, Or Are Kids Getting Really Stupid?” I found this subject very controversial on many levels. It’s definitely come across my mind that children of today act much differently than our parents do or even our grandparents. But to automatically assume that kids of today are all getting stupid is being a bit extreme. I do agree with some of the points Sandy Hingston touched upon, but even her opinions were very one sided.

Hingston is saying that today children know less and they have forgotten the basics, but that’s not to say that everyone has forgotten. And who’s to say that adults don’t know the basics as well? Why pinpoint our lack of knowledge only on children. It’s true when people say kids relate more to technology or that when it comes to learning, technology does play a large role. Technology is a part of everyone’s lives now, whether we like it or not. The way we continue to learn, read and create…technology will somehow always play a role because that’s the way our society is heading. Technology is always evolving, always growing and changing. And as exciting as it is to think of the endless possibilities for the way it will flourish, I can’t help but also be concerned for the negative affects it will have on us intellectually and socially.

The fact that this writer’s son is a junior or senior in high school and doesn’t know his multiplication facts or the days of the week is baffling to me. His condition is extreme. Hingston should not be blaming society but rather herself or even her son for his lack of knowledge in subjects that are vital to help you survive in the real world. Hingston also brings up that if her son spent time listening to Mozart or reading Tolstoy he would become “a better human being.” But just because he doesn’t listen to classical musical or read well known literature doesn’t make him an indecent person. There are other ways to better educate yourself: like watching the nightly news, picking up The New York Times, visiting an art museum, watching a play of The Crucible, visiting a planetarium…. Kids shouldn’t be limited to what our parents believe is the right way to be educated, that’s the beauty of growing up in today’s era, the opportunities to expand your mind and explore are reaching new heights.

Hingston almost seems to cringe at the use of Facebook. Not to say that Facebook is always a good use of people’s time. I admit I usually end up on the fb to procrastinate from doing my real work. But Facebook is an important tool in helping find new jobs, connecting with old friends and most importantly, networking. I also find it sad how impatient we all have become. I know I get frustrated when the Internet is down, or when I have to wait on line to buy something, our patience and time span to concentrate has certainly dwindled since technology is now faster than ever.

With any great changes in the world, there are always those who want to challenge it and go against it. Teens and children are always going to rebel and think in a more modern way compared to our parents…that hasn’t changed. What I can’t imagine is how my children or even my grandchildren are going to interact with each other or the way technology is going to play into our lives. What is concerning to me is when my four year old cousin owns her own iPod touch compared to when I was four and was playing with dolls. I agree with Hingston that we should be concerned for what the future may hold, but not be overly fearful. I hope technology does not make us socially inept, rather help us to become greater human beings for the future and beyond. So I wouldn’t say kids today are getting more stupid, but I would say kids today are become more ignorant to the world around them and some are getting so wrapped up in their phones, computers, and iPods that it makes me seriously contemplate what will happen in ten, twenty years from now.