The Beloit College Mindset list for the class of 2014 is accurate in some aspects, but quite ridiculous in others. If a student thought all of these items were true, I would say they are quite foolish. I can identify with some of them, and some of them I have not heard of.
Some of the items that I think are accurate are:
· email is too slow
· Fergie is a pop-singer, not a princess
· “Viewer Discretion” has always been an available warning on TV shows.
· They have never worried about a Russian missile strike on the U.S.
Email is way too slow. When I need an answer to something, I would much rather use the speedy text message option. When has Fergie ever been a princess? Meet me halfway here; she is glamorous, but not royal. Ever since I can remember watching television, Mom and Dad have been there to say, “This is not for you.” If it was violent, fine. But come on, everyone needs a laugh now and then. Finally, the Russians are after us? I know of the complications with them in 1940’s, but I thought that was ancient.
Some of the items that are way off base are:
· The U.S, Canada, and Mexico have always agreed to trade freely.
· Toothpaste tubes have always stood up on their caps.
· They’ve never recognized that pointing to their wrists was a request for the time of day.
Hello, have we not ever studied economics? I thought everyone new about tariffs and quotas. The North American Free Trade Agreement didn’t launch until the early 1990’s. As for toothpaste, I remember the screw on caps; I was always too lazy to put it back on. As a final point, pointing at the wrist means nothing else in my book. If you want to know the time, give the sign.
A few of these items are rather funny, but it is the way that some of us think. Most of us should know that some of the items are inaccurate. It is interesting to see how the rest of the world views our mindset.
