Are this generation kids really smart?
P.S.:I am going to refer kids born after 2000 as "This generation", kids born before 2000 as "Previous generation" and kids born before 1960s as "Old generation".
How many times have you looked at a kid and exclaimed, "Wow, he/she is really smart!" or said, "These generation kids are really smart for their age!" . I was also one among you until sometime back.
But then, if you see the activities of these kids, it would have been mostly related to usage of new electronic gadgets like mobile or laptop,etc. And we consider them smart as our old generation or even we fumble with those stuff at times. So it is just that these kids are good with "current" generation stuff or rather they are smart enough to survive during this time.
This world has always been a place for the survival of the fittest. Current generation kids are smart enough to survive in today's world similar to what we were in previous generation.
So when we have been amazed by kids' smartness, what we have actually done is evaluated previous generation kids and current generation kids in current environment, which is thereotically and practically wrong. For evaluation on a scale, the environment should be same.
So how to justify the "knowledge" of kids in handling latest gadgets? Simple. They are born and brought up with these and hence they are just accustomed to this. They are becoming more and more dependent on these.
This generation kid will go clueless if you present him with an abacus instrument or tell him to use fingers to count, the same way our older generation go clueless whether to use "Single click" or "Double click" in windows.
He will consider it an harassment if you tell him to prepare a balance sheet using a accounts notebook with the only help being a small solar calculator(isn't it a harassment if you don't provide him the tools like excel and atleast a scientific calculator to work with)!
So it is that the overall total ability of an individual remains the same - only that the balances tilt a bit. What was lost in the capacity of memory(Brain is not for storing data anymore. What is a computer storage fori then?), and in physical strength, we have gained in usage of appliances which can take care of work.
Why do we need to memorize all tables, poems or mantras when it can be stored in cheap storage? Well, not that I am complaining. I do that too.
Let us talk about genes. We know that no genetical engineering is being performed in our DNAs to make us smarter. Unlike the immunizations for diseases, there is nothing like a "intelligence" injection to make us more intelligent. Intelligence is an outcome of physical and mental stability and well being. So though we are becoming less diesease prone but we are becoming punier compared to old generation. If we see the life size portraits of Kings and Queens of 17th or 18th century, we feel like pygmies in size and stature.
Thank God we don't have to go battle fields on horse backs, chariots or be foot soldiers armed with bows and arrows. We have guns and missiles! Otherwise both side soldiers will just die of dehydration and too much physical stress.
Jurassic Park was a rage when the first movie in the series was released as we were dumbfounded by the graphics. Today, watching John Carter is a torture! Where is the story? Who cares about graphics which is present in every other movie?
Well coming back, are these generation kids any smarter than we were? Not really! It depends on which battlefield you are in. Deprive them of latest gadgets and you don't even have to fight them as they feel the world has come to an end!
How many times have you looked at a kid and exclaimed, "Wow, he/she is really smart!" or said, "These generation kids are really smart for their age!" . I was also one among you until sometime back.
But then, if you see the activities of these kids, it would have been mostly related to usage of new electronic gadgets like mobile or laptop,etc. And we consider them smart as our old generation or even we fumble with those stuff at times. So it is just that these kids are good with "current" generation stuff or rather they are smart enough to survive during this time.
This world has always been a place for the survival of the fittest. Current generation kids are smart enough to survive in today's world similar to what we were in previous generation.
So when we have been amazed by kids' smartness, what we have actually done is evaluated previous generation kids and current generation kids in current environment, which is thereotically and practically wrong. For evaluation on a scale, the environment should be same.
So how to justify the "knowledge" of kids in handling latest gadgets? Simple. They are born and brought up with these and hence they are just accustomed to this. They are becoming more and more dependent on these.
This generation kid will go clueless if you present him with an abacus instrument or tell him to use fingers to count, the same way our older generation go clueless whether to use "Single click" or "Double click" in windows.
He will consider it an harassment if you tell him to prepare a balance sheet using a accounts notebook with the only help being a small solar calculator(isn't it a harassment if you don't provide him the tools like excel and atleast a scientific calculator to work with)!
So it is that the overall total ability of an individual remains the same - only that the balances tilt a bit. What was lost in the capacity of memory(Brain is not for storing data anymore. What is a computer storage fori then?), and in physical strength, we have gained in usage of appliances which can take care of work.
Why do we need to memorize all tables, poems or mantras when it can be stored in cheap storage? Well, not that I am complaining. I do that too.
Let us talk about genes. We know that no genetical engineering is being performed in our DNAs to make us smarter. Unlike the immunizations for diseases, there is nothing like a "intelligence" injection to make us more intelligent. Intelligence is an outcome of physical and mental stability and well being. So though we are becoming less diesease prone but we are becoming punier compared to old generation. If we see the life size portraits of Kings and Queens of 17th or 18th century, we feel like pygmies in size and stature.
Thank God we don't have to go battle fields on horse backs, chariots or be foot soldiers armed with bows and arrows. We have guns and missiles! Otherwise both side soldiers will just die of dehydration and too much physical stress.
Jurassic Park was a rage when the first movie in the series was released as we were dumbfounded by the graphics. Today, watching John Carter is a torture! Where is the story? Who cares about graphics which is present in every other movie?
Well coming back, are these generation kids any smarter than we were? Not really! It depends on which battlefield you are in. Deprive them of latest gadgets and you don't even have to fight them as they feel the world has come to an end!
Labels: Evolution, Generation, Genetics
posted by Fathima Sagar | 11:55:00 pm
8 Comments:
I think you would do better by writing movie reviews and stuff than as the one above.. A very loosely constructed article which digresses towards the end with unsupported data.. Ever heard of Flynn theory and why human iq seems to grow over time? Tried to lookup the info on height with some factual data? Then you must know that humans were taller in the 10 and 11 th centuries and grew shorter until 18th century before reaching the previous peak in first half of 20th century. It depends on various factors.. Have u ever compared atheletic data over the last 100 years? Human phyiscal ability and intelligence has improved.. Anyways it is your blog and you can ramble all you want :-)
Hey anonymous,
If I am interested in giving proofs and factual sample data, I will submit a thesis or publish a paper and not write a blog!
BTW, have you heard anything about Spell check?
i think anonymous is this generation kid... he he he
Whoa! U are very right. I think this shld go far, why don't u submit it a magazine publisher?
I enjoyed your observations, particularly how kids appear to be so intelligent as the deftly click buttons on their various gadgets when all they really are is dependent on them. I think I might have to write something about that on my blog.
Hi Fathima,
Nice blog, It's true that the younger generations are smarter than older generation in some facts but not in all. And as you said the environment and media is playing bigger role in this change.
Hey Fatima,
That's a very interesting opinion about current generations and our progress as a society.
I would love for you to follow me on my blog, http://traugust.blogspot.com/, or check me out on twitter.
You sound like a very opinionated person. I would love to hear some of your thoughts sometime.
Cheers,
TR August
Good to read your opinion on new gen kids. You are right..like seen in neural networks..intelligence grows from exposure or past experiences..thats why we have a bigger role to make sure they get right exposure..
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