A Generation of Idiots…?

I had a lengthy discussion recently with one of my best buds. He argued the next generation was stock full of idiots. “Learning how to use an iPad before you’re able to walk can’t be good,” he said.

Keep in mind: he’s got a few younger siblings who spend more time on YouTube than they do in bed.

Sleeping. I said younger siblings…sickos.

Anyway, I love playing Devil’s Advocate in these situations and disagreed with him. Like many other people when they enter an argument, I’m not sure even I believed the point I was making.

I was bored and wanted to spice things up.

Is Generation Z full of lazy half-wits—who’re more likely to watch a re-run of Project Runway on a sunny day than ride a bike—a symbol of humanity’s impending demise?

I honestly don’t know, but pretended that wasn’t the case while arguing with my friend. Maybe because it’s scary for me to believe that Einstein’s warnings are coming to fruition: 

…or maybe because I know they already are:

In my last year of Uni I took a course on the roles media and advertising play in today’s society. It was a seminar, so students were encouraged to participate in class discussions regularly.

Cue that embarrassing memory strictly designed to keep me awake at night.

While discussing a little-known series called The Hunger Games, we got on the topic of public behavioural conditioning. See note at: companies brainwashing society to buy dumb sh!t.

I raised my hand and waited for my turn to speak. When that moment came, I blurted out “READING IS POWER!” and—unfortunately—meant it.

No, I didn’t mean to ostracize myself in a class of thirty. That was just the result.

My intention was to say that subliminal messaging in advertising has gotten SO DAMN ADVANCED, that uneducated people aren’t able to defend themselves from the never-ending onslaught of brain-training that corporations pay metric f*ck-tons of money to produce.

The point being: Your intellect can protect you from this tidal wave of bullsh!t.

Which brings me back to the original argument. I argued the next generation WASN’T full of idiots, which my buddy disagreed with. I’ve met plenty of people younger than me who prove there’s hope for the future. Then again, I’ve met a ton of people OLDER than me that would suggest otherwise.

My point being: It depends completely on the individual.

If we’re destined to be wiped out by a master race of machines Matrix-style, recent history would suggest humanity’s pretty close to reaching that point.

More likely, we’re already in The Matrix, so it’s already too late.

“Jokes” aside, I think we’ve got a shot at a pretty bright future. So long as corporations like Apple and Google don’t use their superpowers for evil, I’d say the generation my hypothetical children belong to has a shot.

Or maybe it’ll take a generation of parents who care enough to deny their 8-year-old an iPhone for Christmas.

If you liked this, like this.

(Insert witty and equally thought-provoking sign off here)