The Dumbest Generation?
The generation that is most comfortable with digital technology, which gives them unprecedented access to all of the world’s knowledge, knows less than the previous generation that lacked this advantage. In other words, the generations whose thumbs do most of their talking can’t express themselves beyond the level of a text message. Could the vast majority of people under the age of 30 (Gen Y and the youngest Gen Xers) be so clueless?
Regrettably the answer is yes. According to a recent Pew Research Center study, 74 percent of 18 to 29 year-olds did not know that Condolezza Rice was the U.S. Secretary of State. Six times more of these young adults were more likely to identify the latest winner of American Idol than the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Another 60 percent did not know the Civil War took place in the second half of the 19th century.
This is a generation who grew up reading blogs instead of books. They read updates about friends on MySpace instead of reading current events in newspapers. They know more about World of Warcraft than they do about World War II.
The result is that just one-third of high school seniors graduated with the ability to read proficiently. Just one-fourth could write a basic paragraph.
The problem is that many young adults are using technology to communicate rather than to learn. In effect by using shorthand texting, they are reinforcing their own illiteracy every time they send and receive a text message.
What’s this mean for employers:
1. In a world of scarce talent, employers will need to transform themselves to make effective use of a generation that isn’t ready to contribute to the traditional workplace. As a result, companies will have to invest in training programs that offer a crash course in the basic skills these workers lack. These programs will need to be tailored so that they are relevant to the actual work the employee will perform.
2. The small percentage of well-educated, high achieving college students will have their choice of employers and competition for them will be fierce. While this isn’t new news, what’s different this time around is that the gap between the-best-and-the-brightest and the average graduate is much wider. Because the return on investment is so much greater for these star performers, employers can be certain that the competition for talent will only be getting more intense.
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Ira S Wolfe is president of Success Performance Solutions (http://www.supers-solutions.com ) and author of The Perfect Labor Storm 2.0: Workforce Trends That Will Change the Way You Do Business. He is considered one of the nation’s authorities on hiring the right people, managing the generations and workforce trends. You can also test your Generation IQ at http://www.super-solutions.com/generationalstyleassessment.asp
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Posted By 
tyna 
Aug 1, 2008 
This a nice piece, we hope the trend could change for better though it will get to a saturated level and the world will start to adjust just like the global warming.
Actually, this doesn’t necessarily sound so different that what occurs right now. At one point it was smoking pot that impacted the flower children. I’m at a loss to think about what took the focus of my generation and now we have technology.
Meanwhile, those who graduate at the top of their college class and/or go to premium schools have their choice of jobs. However, at some point social media and customer relations management will meet and who will lead the way? It could likely be that technology crazed youngster who will know what it takes to use technology and social skills to please people.
Just maybe.
Tom Sawyers last blog post..Two Weeks Left and the “Fun” Begins
Diversions are just everywhere. Couple that with people’s natural tendency to be lazy and what have we? Voila, a cohort of people born in 1980s who don’t know how to write good research papers!
Elliots last blog post..Find Your Language Exchange Partner Right Now
Hi Sis, good to know you and family arrived safely. Missed you. Please keep in touch.And thanks for sharing this. Ta! - Ochi
it may be what’s in vogue; the reigning trend.
and a good number of us have become fashionable fools.
we want to keep up with the joneses…when everyone’s
hooking up to the worldwide world and i sit down their
reading newspapers- my peers will assume i am out of date!
when i can get all the information online…
what’s more, there are so many “let’s do if for you for a fee”
outfits online: from writing reports to researching…maybe it’s
the new way of life; maybe it’s just a signal there’s bleak future
lying ahead: only if we can tell.
beibees last blog post..SOME WORKS OF WOLE SOYINKA
Another reason I homeschool! My sons know how to use the internet and the computer, but they aren’t allowed to just use those things for information and communication. It’s the parents responsibility to make sure our children aren’t the typical Millenial generation. And I don’t think that employers should be making things easier on them by training them. If the “grown-ups” keep bailing them out of trouble, by training them for skills that they should have learned before graduation, then they will never really learn to be a part of society, they’ll learn that society will dumb itself down for them instead.
I think what’s scarier than the millenials being in the work place, is that they will be voting this year for president!
Not bad at all, but this topic is rather little of interest. Please do not disappoint your readership.