English 101 Text Analysis Essay

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Faye McClellan
English 101
Professor Bolton
March 6, 2012
“What‟s the Matter with Kids Today?” - IDK u T3ll M3
In “What‟s the Matter with Kids Today?” Amy Goldwasseraddresses the accusation that
the overuse of the Internet and technology are to blame for the decline of knowledge of history
and literature in the American teens these days. She points out that using similar multiple choice
question surveys that were used on high school students twenty-plus years ago is a bit unfair
because, as Goldwasser words it, “high school students [in 1986] didn‟t have the Internet to store
their trivia. Now they know that the specific dates and what-was-that-prince‟s-name will always
be there; they can free their brains to go a little deeper into the concepts instead of the
copyrights” (668). Even though they may not know the author of a classic novel does not mean
they are not familiar with the plot of the story; after all,“eight in 10 knew what To Kill a
Mockingbird is about” and “Ninety-seven percent of the teenagers in the Common Core survey
connected „I have a dream‟ with its speaker, [Dr. King]” (667),
which goes to show that they are reading and are not completely
“living in „stunning ignorance‟ of history and literature” (666).
She reminds the readers that, on average, teens spend hours a
week reading and writing online. They use the technology to
text, e-mail, blog, and use social networks to write about and
express themselves. Teens are reading and writing in a way they relate to and enjoy.
Goldwasser suggests in this article that the older generation bases their opinions on “fear,

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ignorance and old-media” (667). Teens can now influence society with their knowledge and use
of social media networks, a revelation that is disturbing to those that are unfamiliar with these
technologies. I agree that the internet cannot be all to blame for the lack of awareness of history
and literature amongst teens these days and that the older generation should quit fearing the
change that new technology brings.
I agree with Goldwasser that American teens are still reading and writing by use of the
Internet and other technological devices, so these should not get all the blame for the lack of
education of history and literature. This is not to say that the average teen does not spend a great
amount of time per week in leisurely rather than educational activities while using these
electronic gadgets, but in doing so, they are in fact improving their reading and writing skills in a
way that is fun and engaging to them. Goldwasser herself writes,
“We‟re talking about 33 million Americans who are fluent in
texting, e-mailing, blogging, IM‟ing and constantly amending
their profiles on social network sites” and continues by stating,
“they choose to write about themselves, on their own time, rather
than its being a forced labor when a paper‟s due in school” (667).
This goes to show that they are applying themselves so we should not judge teens so harshly for
not being able to identify a book‟s author right away and assume that this is one factor that
proves they are unaware of literature as a whole because we also rely on technology to store
information for us so we won‟t forget or lose it. I, myself, use my phone to store phone numbers
so I don‟t have to memorize them all anymore or worry about misplacing my phone book. We
use spell check on our computers and phones so there are words that we have gotten away with
not having to know the correct spelling to. Consider also that word processors help us with

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grammatical errors as well as format at times. The National Endowment for the Arts “also
concluded that „literary reading declined significantly in a period of rising Internet use‟” (669).
Did the NEA not consider other factors that could have contributed to teen‟s limited education
on these subjects? In the period of time in which the reports were made, could single parent
homes, drug and alcohol abuse amongst teens and things of that nature been of some blame? I
believe surveys and studies should be adjusted to go along with the times we are living in as
suggested byGoldwasser, “if we worked with, rather against, the way this generation voluntarily
takes in information-we might not be able to pick up the phone and expose tragic pockets of
ignorance” (668). It should not matter if teens choose to use the computer or a pen and paper as
long as it gets the same result.
I am also in agreement with the author that the older generation should consider the use
of this technology as an educational tool rather than being apprehensive about the change that it
brings. Perhaps it is out of fear of the influence on society that is making the usage of
technology a target to blame. Goldwasser hits the nail on the head
when she insists, “We‟re afraid. Our kids know things we don‟t”
(667). She suggests that not only do teens have influence over
elections, consumer products, and movie nominations, but also, they
are using the Internet as a creative outlet for expressive writing. Can
it be that the older generation is being closed minded to the Internet because it is a different form
of communication and learning tool than what they are used to? We can compare this to people
sending E-cards and emails versus Hallmark cards for birthdays and special occasions. People
alsoare more likely to pick up the phone and call someone instead of mailing a handwritten letter
if they have news to share with a friend or family member. Does the older generation blame

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these factors on our poor penmanship? I can go further in saying that I have used the Xbox and
Wii to exercise for the past few years, it is a different technique than what I grew up on, but I
enjoy the workout more using the game consoles, and it is just as effective. With that being said,
we should see the benefits of teenagers reading and writing through Internet and other means of
technology as part of their social life instead of focusing on the negatives.
Therefore, I agree that the good that comes from teens spending time on the Internet is
often overlooked because of fear of the change it brings. My final thoughts will be those of
Goldwasser as she simply puts it, “Once we stop regarding the Internet as a villain, stop
presenting it as the enemy of history and literature and worldly knowledge, then our teenagers
have the potential to become the great voices of America” (669). We never will know the
benefits of the Internet if we are blinded by our prejudices.

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Works Cited
Goldwasser, Amy. “What‟s the Matter with Kids Today?”TheNorton Field Guide to Writing
with Readings and Handbook. 2nded. Eds. Richard Bullock, Maureen Daly Goggin,
Francine Weinberg. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2010. 666-669. Print.