^That's what I'm getting at. The publication of the events is changing the generation. Or has changed. Ergo the aforementioned contrast between the young and the old. The times are just different, sose the people.

I've heard it about history and geography a lot. I was referring to more social and political things specifically though I also think we're less likely to care about geography because we have things like mapquest.
Societal things, politics, business, general behavior and what not.

I don't actually feel that its intended as berating actually. I think its a simple misunderstanding but it comes off as a rather asinine way to think about the youth. We're a different generation with different expectations on almost all fronts. To criticize a group of forward moving people based on the grounds that we don't care how you would do something because we've completely redefined how it is done is rather odd.

Can you make that more coherent? That last sentence more specifically.

Sure, I think the idea that we're generally more apathetic to older practices comes from the fact that it isn't logical to follow them anymore. For instance we don't follow old business models because the internet changed how business is done entirely. Therefor when we scoff at more traditional businesses for being out of date they think we look like savages for it. The same is apparently true for politics. The internet has completely bridged many social gaps and has left no reason for social conservatism so in general we're a less conservative generation. Again, we look less (relatively) intelligent politically to them because they have no understanding about what this generation is actually like. By the fact that they completely don't get our generation our generation is misrepresented to look rather dumb to the older generation. From what I gather when they judge us its because we're tossing out the conventions they're used to which looks foolish to them, when in actuality it would be foolish to keep said conventions.

You've heard that you don't need history and geography or that this generation is less knowledgeable in those areas? So instead of looking at an atlas at school, you'll find your desired location on the web, where's the difference? If you're a retard, you still won't know where Croatia is. As for social and political things, are we talking about the general degeneration of manners which is certainly true but also not connected to intelligence, or political awareness, which I'd have to say is probably a lot greater than 30-40 years ago?

Again, that doesn't really translate into intelligence, if it's obvious that these "drastically different" ways of doing business are working. What? Where are you getting this? How can anyone look dumber for having progressive ideas? They may look scornfully at those changed ideals, but I really don't see how they could find you intellectually inferior.

I changed my mind, we're not different, we're just as stupid as everyone before us.

^Just like there really IS equality, we're all just equally stone cold **** nuts?

When I watch movies from the 60's and 70's there are times when there is a 20-30 something person being lectured by an older person about their generation and how different they are, blah blah blah. In 20-30 years we're going to be saying the same crap to our kids... it's a self absorbed cycle and it makes older people feel better to think their generation was the most brilliant. It probably wasn't. I think as a people this generation is more lazy because of the conveniences that surround us... we get married later in life because women have careers to build and it's too damn expensive to live, the idea of the housewife pretty much went out the window. I've gone off track, my apologies... I think the internet being at our fingertips 24/7 has made it so we no longer need to really memorize or retain much, which can be a good thing, why take up space in your brain when you can just look it up? If the older generation is so much more intelligent I want to know why my father still hasn't figured out the VCR.

anyway, I agree... we're just different, not stupid.

The whole argument about the internet giving this generation the liscence to be entirely unmotivated to learn about the surrounding world is a complete cop-out. It's an excuse to fall back on in lieu of admitting that people (yes, people, not just this generation) in general are getting lazy and apathetic. Apathy in my opinion is a form of stupidity. I don't consider anyone who has no curiosity or desire to learn more about the world remotely intelligent.

The internet is an incredibly powerful tool. Knowledge is knowledge, wheather it comes from a book, a tv show or the internet it all ends up the same in the end, as information stored in your brain that makes you a more aware, more informed, and yes, more intelligent person. The key here is that you have to actually internalize that knowledge. The statement that absorbing information has been made irrelevant by the internet and other media is unintelligent. So if you believe that that is a widespread feeling among this generation, then yes, I would say this generation IS less intelligent.

Cool post and I agree, it's like suggesting that because we have cars there is no reason to walk, run or bike anymore. The Internet is a wonderful, but you have to know how to use it and take advantage of that know how to get anything out of it.

When I was coming up obviously no world wide web, I would spend hours in libraries going through biographies and encyclopedias, listening to records now all that stuff is a click away. Maybe I am giving myself too much credit but I feel like the internet makes me want to learn more not less. It's not good enough for me to know that information is out there, I want it in my head.

Well stated jibber.