There are a few set ways of analyzing
in the population. About 60% of all people start with the premise
that nearly everything was better in the old days, especially education.
Everything follows from that, usually that the world is getting
worse. The next 35% of the population is neo-Marxist. Everything can
be explained by people, social classes or corporations acting in
their self interest, usually for money. The final 5% of the
population has a variety of ways to analyze the world ranging from what people eat is what matters, everything in the world is connected, to the CIA and the Jews run everything.
The Wall Street Journal yesterday had a review of a
book by Steven Johnson Everything Bad is Good for You. The reviewer
tells how Johnson looks at contemporary culture and finds that many
TV shows and video games develop useful social and business skills.
The reviewer, John Leo, is in the majority school of analysis; things used to be better.
I only want to point out two obvious points: young people can operate VCRs, computers, instant messaging, cell phones and they try to teach older folks how to do it. Second, I spent a month in the summer during high school to learn how to type, because I needed it for college. Nobody takes classes in how to type these days, everyone learns on their own.