A recent article in the NY Times, "Survey find teenagers ignorant on basic history and literature question," suggests that the No Child Left Behind act has led to schools to focus on reading and mathematics at the expense of history, literature, and other subjects. This is absurd for several reasons, but I'll focus on the main reason: obsession with individuality.
The current "culture" is defined by the individual not society. The NY Times article points to a survey that asked people about events relevant to American history/culture. I would speculate that the lack of correct responses by the 17 year olds surveyed is a consequence of the degradation of American culture. In particular, people do not mingle with people these days. Everyone is too busy watching this week's American Idol or some other TV program. If people want to make the younger generation aware of America's past, then spend time with them and turn off the TV. Go out and participate in the culture and stop the silent refereeing from your sofa.
The biggest problem with TV is the on-demand entertainment. It reinforces the idea that desires should be fulfilled immediately; there is no reason to wait for anything. Repeatedly, people complain that there are no good programs on TV to watch. What kind of statement is that? Why should you demand that a box plugged into the way should be a place of entertainment? The funny part is that people generally enjoy the company of other people, but very few seek out the company of others and stay home to catch the reruns of 24.
An interesting question comes to mind after this rant: Do you think you were designed to watch TV and interact with machines most of your life, or do you think you are better suited for human-to-human interaction? I'm writing this blog, and you are reading this blog. So, you might be taking part in the former (interacting with your computer) to achieve the later (human-to-human interaction). How satisfied are you with this impoverished form of human-to-human interaction? I expect very few people will even read this, so why have I bothered to write it?
The current "culture" is defined by the individual not society. The NY Times article points to a survey that asked people about events relevant to American history/culture. I would speculate that the lack of correct responses by the 17 year olds surveyed is a consequence of the degradation of American culture. In particular, people do not mingle with people these days. Everyone is too busy watching this week's American Idol or some other TV program. If people want to make the younger generation aware of America's past, then spend time with them and turn off the TV. Go out and participate in the culture and stop the silent refereeing from your sofa.
The biggest problem with TV is the on-demand entertainment. It reinforces the idea that desires should be fulfilled immediately; there is no reason to wait for anything. Repeatedly, people complain that there are no good programs on TV to watch. What kind of statement is that? Why should you demand that a box plugged into the way should be a place of entertainment? The funny part is that people generally enjoy the company of other people, but very few seek out the company of others and stay home to catch the reruns of 24.
An interesting question comes to mind after this rant: Do you think you were designed to watch TV and interact with machines most of your life, or do you think you are better suited for human-to-human interaction? I'm writing this blog, and you are reading this blog. So, you might be taking part in the former (interacting with your computer) to achieve the later (human-to-human interaction). How satisfied are you with this impoverished form of human-to-human interaction? I expect very few people will even read this, so why have I bothered to write it?
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