Assorted Musings

Now that I'm finally sitting down, I thought I would post something with more substance. I took a look at the syllabus and it said we're supposed to respond to the reading of the week, but perhaps that comes later. I'm heading home tomorrow and will probably tackle the chapter in the afternoon.

It's a bit different to write on a new blog. I have a craft/personal blog I update every so often and I write articles/blog every day at work. Honestly, I get sick of staring at the computer screen, but this blog is a nice little opportunity to share some thoughts and refresh on what I learned in class.

Technopoly

My group had a pretty good discussion about the book. One thing we talked about was the section where Postman mentioned how people these days don't seem to value such things as wisdom from the elderly, religious tradition, etc. I do believe it. In the book The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell talks about how people are becoming less religious/spiritual and less moral. I'm not religious, but I like mythology and I recognize that religious texts, literature, etc. tell stories about morals, behavior, etc. and they can be very important and influential guides for people. When people look to technology to find answers, they don't really learn morality, (that's my opinion). I mean, who really goes on the internet to read mythology?

Maybe I'm an old soul, but I'm lucky to have both sets of grandparents alive and well and I spend a lot of time with them. I spend a lot of time with my family in general. I read a lot. I like to learn. I think it's safe to say I'm the youngest person in this class (I'm 21) and I don't think my generation values learning and wisdom nearly as much as they should. It's sad.

Take MSU, for instance. A lot of people tell me how lucky I was to be able to go there, and I don't argue with that. However, I was disappointed by the lack of interest in learning in my peers. I didn't see the passion I expected and it had me so disheartened after a point, I couldn't wait to leave. So many people did the bare minimum to pass and didn't seem to care about anything besides what they were doing after class. Most people in classes sat on their laptops on Facebook/the web the entire time. I got to know my professors and took an interest in the material. I had some professors tell me I was the only one who went to office hours all semester. I was a TA one semester and not one person came to office hours. Group projects were always nightmares. 

I'm not saying I don't think there are passionate young people out there - there are - but there are so many that just....don't care. While I am excited for the future, some things do concern me. In COM 620, Alex mentioned how behavioral problems are becoming more abundant. I've heard similar reports, and one of the books I read this past summer was about narcissism and how it is on the rise in America. Maybe I'm sounding too cynical, but I really hope something comes along and ignites some sort of spark in a lot of people.