"The Millennials: The Dumbest Generation or the Next Great Generation?"

In the video, "The Millennials: The Dumbest Generation or the Next Great Generation," Mark Bauerlein and Neil Howe debate over if this rising generation is the dumbest generation or the greatest generation. Bauerlein states that high school and college years are crucial in brain development and thinking skills. Students will not have another time in their lives to devote to studying and fulfilling their intellectual desires. He claims that when we look at actual numbers, there is an intellectual decline in habits and achievements. Bauerlein believes that there has never been more of an opportunity for individuals to explore and satisfy these intellectual thoughts. This is due to an increase in libraries, colleges, museums, etc. However the big opportunity is the internet. Students can get any information they like with the click of a button. Instead of building knowledge foundation, it has become information retrieval. On the debating side, Neil Howe states that this youth is the smartest generation yet. He claims that testing is outdated and it does not enable students to show off their true intellect. According to data from the report card, math scores have increased, as well as the number of students who apply to take the SAT. Children are actually watching less TV than they used to, however they spend more time watching video games. Howe claims that this is not making students dumber. Many businesses now are actually using video games to train employees. Howe states that reading scores may have dropped because students have less free time to read. After watching this debate, I agree with viewpoints from both sides. In favor of the "dumbest generation", I do think that teachers in middle/high school need to place more emphasis on why school is important and how it is relevant to students' lives. There needs to become more of a purpose, and my fear is that standardized testing has pushed students to think that they are learning only to pass a test. I also believe that students have an amazing opportunity to learn whatever they wish, just at the touch of their fingertips. However, instead of "copy and pasting" information as Bauerlein states, teachers need to create ample opportunities for students to create and use the internet to foster that creativity. I agree with Howe that video games are not "making students dumber," but I do think it essential for parents to place a time limit on video game activity. The internet and video games are all part of a new generation. It is not making anyone dumber, but it may be restricting creativity. We should be using these resources to help us expand and satisfy student's desires to learn new information. I do not believe that reading scores have dropped due to less free time to read. I dedicate it to the fact that students are worn down on reading because it is pushed so hard in school and has taken on a negative connotation due to standardized testing. Students need to have a motivation to learn and see a purpose that is meaningful to them!