A Changing Generation

The college mindset list from Beloit College was interesting to read. I thought that several points were made that could be seen as valid, but there were also several that were over exaggerated and more of a stereotype than how it really is, (for me at least.) I know I'm two years older than this year's class, but most of these things still can be applied to my generation as well. I don't really take offense, but I do disagree with several of the statements that make up the introduction and lengthy list made by Beloit College.

Honestly, I use e-mail more than I'm comfortable with. I love the days that I can check it and not have to wade through ten or more, but that comes with responsibilities today. It can be frustratingly slow but more often than not it's because someone or another just didn't check their e-mail as fast as I wanted. I don't very often, but I do still write letters regularly. I love to do that because I feel like handwritten letters are so much more personal to who I'm sending them to than just typing something up and shooting it out via e-mail. I'm not saying that everyone feels the same, I know some people who don't even know how to address an envelope, but there's my standing. I may not write in cursive, but I still can. It was something we had to learn and use in grade school, but whenever I could and today I print (well it's more of a mix) because I was always so slow at it. I do prefer for the most part to print notes and what-not else though because I learn it by writing it and I'm not the fastest at typing either.

When it comes to research I still make use of books a lot of the time. It's getting easier to use the internet and the card catalogs are now almost always electronic, but I don't think it's really a fair statement to make that our professors had to patiently teach us that way when we grew up being allowed to use only books and encyclopedias as resources.

As for tv channels, well I am guilty of having more than I know what to do with and still finding nothing I want to watch, so I'll often turn to a book, movie, or working outside instead. Well, that's at my mom's anyway. At my dad's we're lucky if ten channels come in, but they have the news and a couple other shows we'll watch, so it's not all that bad. And as for phones, the smarter they get, the dumber I feel. I don't know how anyone older can keep up with all the new technology that keeps coming out and upgrading; I have a hard time myself! We do still have a few corded phones at my parents' houses that we use. Sure they can be restricting, but we have a land-line in the house not needing electricity when it may happen to go out.

All-in-all, I thought the article was interesting to read with it's perspective of this generation and our ways. Even though I don't like to admit that some of the comments are true, they just are and there's no getting around or changing that. I don't think that all are founded and completely fair, but each differs with upbringing, location, and from person to person.