The New Generation

We are living in a miraculous age of information that never ceases to amaze me. When I watched a 1984 movie called Starman one of the lines in the movie referred to us technologically as “The Ancients” and considering where we are now some 27 years later this phrase was prophetic. Now I am not writing about how far we’ve come but rather how dependent and lazy we’ve become in the 21st Century. The Internet largely responsible for educating us like never before in history does come with some serious drawbacks.  Because we have this treasure trove of information at our immediate disposal there is a false sense of sophistication we feel because the answer to virtually anything is right there. What we have failed to do however   is to take note of things that have gone before simply because it has no relevance right here right now.  And the English language has been reduced to catchphrases built on informality and formulaic answers that fit elementarily into a 1-2-3 format.   

When it comes to knowing what happened prior to 1984 most of the X.Y and Z generations are so historically illiterate and language challenged that it is pitiful.  If they didn’t see it, it didn’t happen. And the Breakfast Club is an old movie. Maybe it’s not their fault after all beside technology their parents have done an abhorrent stewardship in educating their offspring. Of course they are educating their children scholastically but in terms of the basic acumen like addition and subtraction, saying your welcome instead of “no problem”, or “hey” instead of hello, or at the end of every explanation the lame: “it is what it is”, and the condescending: “obviously” and my favorite: “whatever” have reduced us to such an informal verbal lifestyle that virtually no one can function without a bastardization of the English language and common courtesy.  

Besides communicating imbecilic with words that leave me wondering quizzically there is the rampant lack of what went before they were old enough to click their mouse. I recently asked an acquaintance that worked for AT&T what the initials stood for. He didn’t know and he was running the franchise. Personally when I tell someone telephonically or in person that my name is McQueen as in Steve but John, they invariably look at me deadpan or say John McClain? (From the movie series Die Hard) What does it matter? I guess maybe I am making a mountain out of a molehill but when someone thinks that The Dark Knight is the best picture of all time I know that they must have been born yesterday.