The purpose of the Beloit College Mindset list articles is to prepare a list of "cultural touchstones" that was originally in an effort to show faculty members how quickly worldviews of each generation was changing. Today the article entices over 400,000 hits annually on Facebook. As far as the content of each year's article, the accuracy is really at the reader's discretion, and because of diversity, economic factors, social factors, global factors, and personal experience, the reactions to the viewpoints will differ from graduate to graduate.
What I first noticed after reading the article entirely was the points it made on subjects that many graduates of 2014 have no personal connection to, or in some cases no opinion on or care for. For instance the comment about Walmart selling handguns over the counter, and also about Honda always being a major competitor on Memorial Day at Indianapolis. This list just seems as if it was compiled by people born prior to the eighties that are trying to understand what my generation thinks about the world, and it's issues.I know its hard to assemble and basically guess on seventy five world wide accepted opinions, but that is why we have mass testing.
My response to this article is that it seems to lack the appeal and foundation that would make it accepted by me based off of my personal experience with the world economically, socially, and globally. They mention hundreds of channels on cable, but a routine of having nothing to watch. If they had put something about MTV not playing music videos on it like it use too, then it would have applied better to my experience. The point that said when our parents complained about Black Monday, we thought they were complaining about punk rockers from L.A suggests that our class doesn't care about our economic situations, and crisis. The toothpaste tube standing on the cap seems completely random, and the other points made like this one just hurt the accuracy and appeal of this list.
Overall my opinion on this list of broad opinions would have to be a negative outlook on the accuracy of the list as a whole. Like I said before the opinions will defer based on experiences in the world, but in my experience of eighteen years, two months, and twenty days on this earth I feel like this list inaccurately depicts my worldview and mindset on the topics they presented in the list.
I feel smarter for reading this. I say go for that journalism major! You have a gift with words. I guess I read the list as a humor piece more than a serious piece. I liked the little randoms bits because they made me laugh.
ReplyDeletei have to agree that a lot of the points seem random and assumed without real facts. some of the points were pretty accurate though. i kind of looked at this as a comedic article though to poke fun at our ignorance of certain things(specifically things which dont matter).
ReplyDeleteI agree it seemed like the article was pointing out that we don't have good personal connection. I think that is not true I think we just connect a different way.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't take too mush offense to the article. It is meant to be a lighthearted piece for older generations to see how the youth of today differ from themselves at our age.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kali, you need to go with the journalism major. You have a very good way with words. I agree with you with how they say it and make it seem like we dont know much. We do, but like Collin said we have different ways of doing and know things then they did back then.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is extremely difficult for the writers of this piece to create a list of only 75 things that our generation supposedly thinks but they do make some good points through out the article too.
ReplyDeleteSome of the things on the list I had no idea what they were talking about, so right there you can already tell the difference in generations. But they did make some good points, such as the different tv channels.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kali and Branygon, journalism is so fitting for you! You did a really great job. I'm super impressed. I guess I read this list as more of an entertaining thing rather than a serious deal, but you did make some good point. Like how the list seems to be compiled by older people trying to define our generation when they don't really know us personally.
ReplyDeleteHey Dylan,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you; this list paints many negative, and incorrect, stereotypes about our generation. I do, however, realize that this list is suppose to be funny, but it shouldn't be disrespectful. If they took a few of the points you mentioned off, then the list would be both enjoyable to read and accurate.
I definitely agree with you. This list puts the wrong spin on our generation. Many of the items were off base or completely unfounded. It is obvious that this list is put together by people trying to analyze our generation.
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