America: Land of the Fat, Dumb, and Happy

With the plethora of conveniences available at the touch of a fingertip, it seems only natural that people would utilize their skills and sharpen their minds, yet Americans are clearly not striving as hard for success as they should be. Test scores are plummeting and drop out rates are skyrocketing. The average Joe or Jane can instinctively point out who Brittney Spears is in a heartbeat, yet becomes dumbfounded when asked who our vice president is. Let’s face facts: We as a society are becoming dumbed down.

Today’s young Americans cannot be bothered with actual hard work (don’t dare interrupt them while they’re texting either, these simple creatures can sometimes become hostile.) Instant gratification is always preferred, and who can blame them? They have been spoon fed throughout their entire lives that they are all special unique snowflakes and “it’s ok as long as you tried your best”. Why would one work hard if being mediocre is now considered exceptional? This “every child deserves a trophy” mentality can explain the low test scores and rising dropout rates, because this generation of babies has been coddled throughout their entire lives. Young Americans experience a culture shock when faced with a dilemma more complex then raising a virtual pet on facebook. Instead of working hard to overcome, most will throw in the towel and call it quits.

Also, almost all forms of media have been infected with mindless drivel. Television is anything but educational. Of coarse TV is a form of entertainment and many will argue that its purpose is not to teach. This is true, although, there is no doubt that the entertainment industry has been morally dumbed down. A few generations ago the typical family unit would cheerfully gather around to view a light and wholesome episode of “Leave it to Beaver”.

Nowadays the average American is hypnotized by a type of programming called “reality TV”. This genre consists of a shallow, narcissistic, and reckless group of imbeciles usually competing for “love” or money. These freak shows usually glorify getting in drunken fights and sleeping with anything that moves. Watching spoiled slackers make fools of themselves on national television, I admit is entertaining but it may cause your IQ to decline a few points after viewing.

Television isn’t the only form of media that has been dumbed down. The current state of music is a joke. Music has slowly transformed from a melodic and thought provoking form of art to a flashy commercial with unorganized noises (ex.: Constant product placement in music videos.) Studies have shown that classical music actually stimulates brain activity. In contrast music in 2010 (I’m using the term music loosely here) is all about image and no substance. Call me old fashioned but the rapper Lil’ Wayne could never even hold a candle to the great composers of the past such as Bach, Mozart, Or Beethoven. How can listening to “artists” sing about smoking blunts, getting trashed at nightclubs, and bragging about material possessions, possibly stimulate the brain?

I find myself wondering what happened to modesty in today’s society. I’m flabbergasted at how my generation puts such a high emphasis on appearance, as their personality is shaped and molded into what they believe is socially superior. Americans desperately need to put more time into improving themselves intellectually, and pick up a book once in awhile as opposed to their iPhones.