Stereotypes

     So, the readings this week were interesting, and I liked what they had to say. However, there is one reoccurring aspect of every reading that tends to rub me the wrong way. For example, Edmondson's article starts as follows, "They care that their 14-year-old cousin in Oklahoma had cheerios for breakfast. They care that their basketball camp roommate whom they haven't spoken to in the last three years locked herself out of her house this morning" (43). This type of language continues on for a little while. Personally, I feel that a lot of our readings start in similar ways, or make similar comments. Edmonson's article goes on to provide some amazing information and useful ideas. However, this first part just seems so negative, and bitter in a way. I understand that the generation writing this articles did not grow up with the social media and technology which we did and the current generation does. I still do not feel this is a reason to make it appear as a bad thing.
     On of the reason this type of mentality always sticks out to me is that my grandpa and dad always seem to have this same debate. My dad knows that this topic gets to me, so he tends to poke at me and say things like, "Oh you guys are always texting and on facebook!" And then my grandpa will reply with something along the lines of, "Well you were always worried about albums and your political protests!" This taste of the conversation shows that Edmonson's parents probably had something to say about her generation as well. My point is that I feel a lot of educators see the switch to technology as a negative (not necessarily Edmonson because later she mentions the boost in writing and literacy because of social media) when it should really be embraced and looked at as a new way to advance our knowledge and use the human brain. I just do not want to see one generation looking down on the other because aspects have changed. We evolve, the world evolves, technology and intelligence evolves. We must accept, adapt, and advance because of these changes. A great quote about this thought comes from Hesse's Witness, "To those who swear our young are on the road to perdition take comfort in this-every generation has felt somewhat the same for two or three thousand years and still the world goes on." So, next time you lose faith in the future, remember that the last generation probably lost faith in us at some point too.