The Digital Age: Prolonged Adolescence in the Rising Generation?

This is an interview with a professor from Emory University who believes that "the digital age" is negatively affecting the development of the younger generation.

Is technology making students dumber? Before you continue reading, shut your phone off. In his book “The Dumbest Generation,” Mark Bauerlein argues how the constant, hyper-accelerated use of technology for social-networking and for non-stop digital social communication is inhibiting young people from spending any meaningful time engaging intelligent media and in thought.

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http://www.nas.org/polArticles.cfm?doctype_code=Article&doc_id=1851

Same argument that we've heard for generations. These young'uns won't listen. LOL.

Interesting article thanks for bringing it belimom.

I just watched a segment of a show on discovery or pbs I can't remember which, and it was talking about how studies are showing (they even flashed MRI's of brains on the internet ) that being connected (streaming media, texting, surfing internet...etc) utilizes the brain in very different ways from reading, speaking on the phone...etc. In fact, the brain that was engaged in the multimedia multi-tasking of surfing the internet was lit up like a christmas tree as opposed to the brain that was reading text from a book. The conclusion of that show was that all the latest technology is good for our brains. Even old gaffers like me hah.

I'll withhold judgement about this because all I see is anecdotal evidence that "the kids today just aren't as smart as we were because of this media"

Sounds like "The kids today are much more lose and have less morals than we did because of that rock and roll".

I think the technology is a wonderful thing, the problem comes in with the parents who need to learn to set boundaries and limits fo their children and the time spent on those endeavors. Not the endeavors themselves.

Okay, I just watched the whole video. Not the greatest interview in the world but interesting.

He talks about teens sleeping with a cell phone under their pillow so they don't miss a text, going to the library and sending e-mails rather than doing research, etc.

Like Kat, I do remember reading something about how our brains are wired differently now b/c of being so "connected" 24/7. I have to admit, I am seeing issues in my own life. I had to give my husband my Droid Incredible phone to use b/c his Droid died and he needs to get e-mail for work. So I'm now using our old flip phone... Oh boy. I didn't realize how addicted to e-mails and FB updates I was - LOL! I keep picking up the flip phone, opening it, closing it, putting it down, picking it up, etc. And realizing it doesn't "do" anything - just phone calls.

My brother sent me the link and he believes the whole social networking world of today is creating a very self-centered generation who can't look beyond their own lives.

Interesting topic.

we parents can take the blame for that IMO.

When did good parents become those who give their children everything? When did being liked by our children become such a goal??

Last year, we visited a relatives house and my 5 yr old thought she had a "new cool phone".... Why? Because it was attached to the wall, and you couldn't take it with you. :floorlaugh:

LMBO

I had to explain rabbit ears to my DD. She has no concept of a world without cable.

belimom said:

This is an interview with a professor from Emory University who believes that "the digital age" is negatively affecting the development of the younger generation.



http://www.nas.org/polArticles.cfm?doctype_code=Article&doc_id=1851

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I don't know if the digital age is having a negative effect on kids' developments, but I do know that (especially here in USA) young adults are more young than adult.

kgeaux said:

I don't know if the digital age is having a negative effect on kids' developments, but I do know that (especially here in USA) young adults are more young than adult.

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I have noticed this, too. So many young people I know, kids in their 20s, who can't cook, budget, or anything like that. I work for disability services in a college, and we have a very good tutor program. There are students who will text/call their tutors at all hours of the night/early morning. I guess they don't realize that not everybody sleeps with their phone under their pillow.

I know young people in their late 20s and early 30s whose parents still pay many of their bills.

I've heard this idea of younger people's brains working differently now because of technology. What about kids who grew up relatively technology-free? How will they fit in with their adult peers in a few years? I ask because we've never given our kids cell phones; we have a family-shared computer, so computer time is limited; and we've mostly stayed cable-free for the last decade or so. I wonder how our kids will fit in when they grow up and enter the work force.