Kids Today Essay

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Amy Goldwasser’s essay “What’s the Matter with Kids Today” effectively demonstrates young people’s lack of history and literary knowledge is not because of the amount of time spent on the internet. Goldwasser starts of by reporting findings from two surveys. One survey’s finding found young people to be living in “stunning ignorance” of history and literature. The other survey findings reported a diminished role of voluntary reading among 13-17 years olds. Doris Lessing, in an acceptance speech for a Nobel Prize in literature, states “Kids today don’t read, don’t write, and don’t care about anything further in front of them than their iPods. The internet has seduced a whole generation into its inanities.” After stating the beliefs of the older generation, Goldwasser begins to question the reason behind their beliefs. Amy states the older generation often conducts so many surveys out of jealousy, fear and ignorance. They fear that young people know more than they do. She brings up a good point that before the internet parents didn’t complain when kids would be in their rooms for hours writing letters to friends or talking on the phone. The older generation seems to think very little of the internet because of a few bad incidents. They don’t realize that it is another form of communication. Amy states the internet is not as bad as it seems. The internet can be used for education as well as personal reasons. The young generation has access to political speeches, books, and other important history information. Young people can access information much faster with the internet than before. One survey reports ninety-seven percent of young people in the Common Core survey connected “I have a dream” with Dr. King. Eight out of ten also knew what To Kill a Mockingbird was about. They use the internet for personal reasons as well. Goldwasser states young people use the

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