Are We Doomed?

Question

Looking at the high number of kids in school (obviously from the questions) that are asking questions that look like school work.
From the lack of even basic knowledge of the subject of history shown in those questions.
And the old statement about those that don't learn from history.

Are we as a society doomed to get hit by everything repeating itself on the next generation?

Don't get me wrong. I am not saying anything about some of the questions.
Some show a real desire to learn and a good grasp of some of the vital things of history.
Some are really ridiculous.

Yes, I know history repeats itself anyway, I'm fond of using that statement.

My question is more that they seem not to even care about it. Not all events happen in the same order again and not every generation gets the repeat of something bad.
I'm worried that the apathy displayed by the current generation means that they'll get an extra dose of repeating problems.

Answer 1

When have you ever known kids not to cheat at their homework!
Most of the time, it's because they are bored. Homework is so boring! It's probably the single most destructive part of public education, simply because it is uninspiring. A good teacher inspires kids to want to learn, homework doesn't. It's counter productive to what good teachers do, and there are too many public service, tenured burn-outs that are all too happy to load the kids down with homework just to show the parents that they are doing "something" for their kids education. Some teachers actually "teach" kids, some are just the middle-man between the schools books and the kids.
Don't blame the kids if they aren't inspired, blame the education system.

Answer 2

We are not doomed because to be aware of a problem is to have the chance to correct it. The question is whether or not action is taken to correct it and that is actually up to the younger people. My daughters history book was mostly political propaganda and "politically correct" history; I would rather learn history and know the country has done some good things and some bad things which is true then either all bad or all good. I do believe that those who do not learn (much less know) history are doomed to repeat it but the country is not yet doomed unless nothing is done to educate people instead of indoctrinate them as PC'ers with no sense of the accomplishments as well as the negatives of America. Hate to depress or worry you more but some of the most basic questions are not high schoolers-the person asking is in college and yes I have written a couple of them and they are college students.

Answer 3

Will this generation get an extra dose of repeating problems? Nah. Probably not. No more than any other. Though I must say, as I get older, ignorance of some things I'd like to assume everyone knows scares me more and more. But then they know things we don't (they= younger generation, we= older generation) I deal with many school kids and occasionally I do get scared by what they don't know. But then I look at kids teaching their parents how to use a computer and take hope.

Answer 4

The issue is that in schools, it's all about teaching to the test.

We don't let kids have some time to just think about stuff. Everything's a race and a competition, and it's all about living up to someone else's standards.

Kids spend 6 hours a day in school and then 3 or 4 on homework, including weekends, "vacations" and over the summer. They work more than adults do, with no compensation, and without choice.

The way we present all information in school is stupid. "We're going to force you to come here. Now that we've locked you inside a depressing building buzzing with fluorescent lights, we're going to sit you down here and drone at you. You have to memorize everything because there's a test every Friday and if you don't do perfectly, you're going to end up a drug addicted hooker/gas pumper."

If you leave kids alone, they want to learn. Look at all the stuff kids learn about on their own. A kid who kicks *** at Halo is learning tactics, memorizing complex maps, learning how to lead and follow, and so on. He wouldn't do that if he had a Halo test.

There's this, "You're learning now, smile god dammit!" attitude in schools today. That combines with everyone assuming that teenagers are lazy, unmotivated idiots to create teenagers who don't know much and expect medals for showing up to class.

My formal education ended at the end of third grade, and I'd been coasting on outside knowledge before that. I had 'social studies', which meant that I knew that Washington was awesome in 1776, all British people are poofy bastards, and that all dead white men are somehow evil. I've had a total of 10 weeks formal history education, most of which was spent unproductively, on pedantic crap that taught me nothing. I'm 15 and now independently preparing for the AP history exam, and doing pretty dang well.

It's an occasionally unpleasant fact of life that some people are smarter than others. Not everyone has the capacity to be a scholar, and that's fine. We NEED everyone if we're going to survive. Mechanics are smart. We need mechanics so scholars can drive on roads built by muscle men to academic conventions housed in the work of carpenters, fed by caterers, all of whom are wearing what clothing designers have created.

Schools should no longer be compulsory and vocational training should be offered right alongside scholarly training. People who are headed for the trades would actually end up with a better knowledge of scholarly topics than they do now, because they'd stop feeling like failures every time their report cards came in.

Sorry for the rant.

Answer 5

This next generation might surprise us. We certainly surprised our parents. Oh, they surprised theirs. Whether they will be the generation to re-invent the world, destroy it, or leave it remains to be seen.

Keep in mind that 90% of the kids today will be doing less than what we did. They are being taught less and half, whether we like it or not, will have jobs with names on their shirts. The best educated might be coming from home schools and the few classes that have outstanding teachers. The rest might be sheep.

Answer 6

I agree there are some daft questions. But think on this. 100 years ago, I doubt if the majority of kids were even being taught history. At least they have the nous to ask, even if sometimes it seems as if they are asking for their homework to be done. No, I don't think we are doomed.

Answer 7

It is kind of worrying that so many school kids seem to dive on yahoo answers instead of looking up the answer for themselves. The internet is so much easier to find information on than having to go through books like I did!! God I sound SO old!! lol

Answer 8

it;s not kids' fault though, they are just kids.

i don;t think the society is gonna be doomed by JUST THAT. knowing or not konwing a piece of history, which is like knowledge anyways, won't have any noticable effect in the future. But, the crappy education system we have is certianly gonna do so.

the system is disecourging new ideas, creativity, and geniuses.

Answer 9

I used to think that but it seems to me that those who do have knowledge end up getting tangled up in their logic thinking they can plan and control everything and they mess up anyway, or they do what feels good at the moment and rationalize.

Personally, I think our machines are going to replace us. I can't see any way to avoid it.

Answer 10

Hi,

History always repeats itself. Man is compelled to repeat
the same mistakes. This is called CYCLES .

Rgds.............