We are NOT the 'Dumbest Generation'

A writer from the New York Times, Mark Bauerlein, points at the children nowadays and claims that they are the ‘Dumbest Generation’ out of all generations. Is it true? Or do they have any say about this?
Mark Bauerlein has written a book about this younger generation, about how the new technologies have stopped youth to keep learning. In the book, Mark Bauerlein states that children these days do not read book but spend more than enough time on social networks such as Facebook and MySpace. It could be correct that they spend less time reading but how can he presume that they are not doing any reading online? Many people read online to become updated with the news or the books that just have recently come out and it is one of many people’s interests.
In his point of view, the creation of new technologies is the biggest factor. New technologies may have influenced youth’s way of learning but it does not necessarily mean that they don’t learn at all. Instead of studying outside, they use the fact that technology exists and apply their skills on it to become wiser. They research online, become up-to-date with the news, and more important, to improve their skills in their social lives. The internet will help them do this faster and more efficient.
Socialising is essential. It helps them build their first steps in a brand new world that allows them to express themselves, explore new paths, and expand their knowledge in the social world. Therefore things such as Facebook, MySpace are contributing to the expansion of their social skills. Here teenagers are able to express their interests to others outside the classroom and make new friends who are outside of their community. Youth are more capable to learn from their peers than from adults and this tends to help them learn more outside their classrooms.
Adults say that children cannot spell and they do not have a good sentence structure because they use slangs to write short all the time. They may use shorter words to write when they are communicating to their peers so that it takes shorter but this, however, does not mean that they do not have good writing skills. The number of writers is increasing day by day. Also, a lot of writers are at the younger age when they start to write their own novels.
Using new digital media will help them learn new technical and media skills. When they are ‘hanging out’ online, they need to use their social and technical skills to express themselves and this helps them learn to learn to participate in the digital world along with their peers by trying new things through trial and error and learn from their mistakes. It is also the era of modern life in which people should start using what others have invented and contributed to this world.
In conclusion, Mark Bauerlein cannot just simply assume that children in this younger generation are not dummies. Today everyone on this planet is entering a new path in the modern life and this means that the use of technologies cannot be excluded. Children could be the first ones to start this new life and they are preparing to participate in the society and make the best out of themselves.