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The Dummy “Drumbeat”
March 03, 2008
Admittedly, I’m not fully awake until I’ve downed two cups of coffee and read my New York Times. A headline in this morning’s US Today, however, really grabbed my attention. In “Dummy ‘drumbeat’ goes on for U.S. students” (USA Today, 02/26/08, page 5D), Greg Toppo reports on a whole new group of critics, who are absolutely stunned by the education, or lack thereof, acquired by the T-Ball Generation. According to Toppo, a burgeoning group of critics complain about today’s youngsters, saying they have been “[o]verfed on self-esteem, pop culture and digital entertainment,” and adding “they are starved for genuine literary, historical, scientific and mathematical knowledge.”
In a study set to be released today, Toppo writes, nearly six in ten 17-year-olds can’t place the Civil War in the second half of the 19th Century. Only about one-quarter were able to accurately identify Adolph Hitler as the chancellor of Germany during World War II. And one researcher recalls receiving an “absolutely blank” look when she referenced President Franklin Roosevelt’s once-famous fireside chats.
In my experience, labeling the T-Ball Generation as “the dumbest generation” ever (yes, a book with that title is about to be published) is just plain wrong. I work with members of this generation virtually every day, and I am constantly struck by two factors: 1) They are extremely bright; and 2) They have been pushed by their parents to succeed. While, as one critic notes, the T-Ball Generation, never had to memorize the Gettysburg Address, odds are they can find it in a flash via the Internet. In fact, given their comfort with technology, the T-Ball Generation is more likely to have explored the Civil War virtually in ways that earlier generations could only manage if they were lucky enough to actually stroll various battlefields.
The good news for employers is that the T-Ball Generation has been taught to analyze rather than memorize. Don’t expect them to recite stanzas of poetry or recall the 50 state capitals. However, don’t be surprised to hear this newest generation discuss events taking place a world away. The T-Ball Generation is connected in ways earlier generations could only imagine.
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