Mark Bauerlein: "The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future"

Mark Bauerlein is a professor of English at Emory University and the author of "The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future" In this book, Bauerlein argues that we are in fact the dumbest generation. We don't read, we can't spell, we are easily distracted. And then, he outrageously claims that we are "young" and get ridiculed for original thought. Firstly, I wish to apologize to Bauerlein for critiquing his work, as I am nothing more than an ignorant incompetent. And, yes, I just took advantage of spell-check to spell "critiquing."

Although lucrative, we must first navigate away from Bauerlein's narcissism and overly essentialist attitude, and arrive to one of the fundamental flaws in his argument -- classism. I can only echo the words of bell hooks when she tells us that topics of justice cannot be discussed unless we deal with a literate community. Within the racially divisive arena of American public policy, people of color have systematically been disenfranchised from the world of academia, creating an elite class of academics. This class is subject to the same intersectionality of most oppressive systems, it is predominately racist, sexist, and sympathetic to learners of high-profile political affiliation and elite socioeconomic status.

While I can partially agree that our generation can be more focused, I refuse to admit that we are somehow dumb. Here is an example: The internet bomb in the early 90's allowed computers and the internet to enter the classroom setting. Information is now available to students who had been materially lacking. This especially had an affect on me as a Latino. My mother, like many first generation immigrants did not speak the language and was not at all familiar with American Culture. The internet allowed me to explore my curiosity, and help my family move forward. With no help from anyone, I was able, as a high school student, to apply to college. It is weak scholarship for Bauerlein not to realize the profound affect that technology has had on poor people, who use it, even at the public library for ten cents an hour, to access information that our immigrant parents can't give us, like the logistically knowledge of applying to college.

Another flaw in Bauerlein argument is that he assumes that all people need to assimilate to his archaic perception of academia. I have never read Hamlet, and I don't care to. More and more students and teachers find that articles and journals can be more effective in teaching because of the length. Not to mention that classroom practices are changing. I am sure he would think this blog entry is invalid because I have checked me email twice. Students today are involved in many things and sitting in a room for six hours and reading is not one them.

Bauerlein also makes a huge claim when he says we all don't read. I read a lot and, I value academics. He claims that we are ridiculed for original thought, I don't know if anyone in the class feels this way, but my thinking has been celebrated and embraced by friends and academics. We cannot allow this type of negativism in our academic discourse. We are already dealing with capitalist demands for people not to go to school, and now, we choose to claim that everyone is dumb anyway.

Bauerlein might be angry that I am able to criticize him after reading the summary of his book on bostom.com, but here we see the beuaty of summary, as now I am spared from reading his apocalyptic revaluation of our dumb future. We are finally moving as a community, here at UNH, to expand and diversify our education, to educate the people who value education. I don't believe that education is given, especially to people of color and queers. We must claim it, and not allow for anyone to take our knowledge, no matter how "unfocused and ignorant." I am claiming my education and telling this individual to buzz off. Allowing this conservative, simply angry rhetoric to affect our perception of ourselves as thinkers would make us stupid. I hope he doesn't call his students dumb, because if he does, he might find out he has a lot to learn from us. After all, we gave him the material to write his book, which has sold a lot of copies. And, which I am sure students use for firewood and don't read. Students also pay his salary at Emory University. I guess we really are useless.