This guy is my HERO right now. I have said this for years, that the youth of today (yeah, that includes you - anyone under 40 - yes I said it) is so self centered and unappreciative of what they have today.
Every single word this guy says is absolutely TRUE - I have heard it, seen it and experienced it. The worst part is that my generation, the over 40's... ok, the over 45's, alright already - the nearly 50 year olds and older are starting to treat our world this way. Snap out of it!
I have told my children that the decade of the 1980's was the last decade where we, as a country truly made great leaps in technology and advanced out culture into the techo-savvy world we have today.
That's right kids all those conveniences you enjoy, were invented by my generation (or prior). What has come from today's generation - that wasn't an 'improvement' from a prior invention... um, NOTHING.
Think about that - today's group of 20's. 30's and early 40's have contributed NOTHING to our society except CONSUMERISM and entitlement.
In the 1970's here is some of what was invented/achieved:
Pong - 1972
Post it notes - 1974
Rubik's cube - 1974
Gore-tex - 1976
The Walkman - 1979
Rollerblades - 1979
Microwave oven sales begin - 1975 (invented in 1945)
space station - 1971
LCD - 1971
Microprocessors - 1971
Pocket Calculators - 1971
MRI - 1971
CT scanners - 1972
Hybrid vehicles - 1974 (Victor Wouk originally invented it)
digital Cameras - 1975
The Personal Stereo (hand held, boombox) - 1977
Here is a brief list of the most amazing technology advancements/inventions of the 1980's:
The artificial Heart - 1982
CD-Rom - 1985
Apple Lisa - 1983
Apple Macintosh - 1984
Windows OS - 1985
ACE inhibitor - 1982
Camcorder - 1983
The Internet (first TCP/IP network) - 1983
The instant bread maker - 1986
Digital Light Processing (DLP) - 1987
MS/DOS - 1981
The PC - 1981
High temp super conductor - 1986
Disposable cameras - 1986
Disposable contact lenses - 1986
Doppler radar - 1986
HD TV - 1989
Nintendo NES - 1980
Motorola "brick" mobile (later renamed 'cellular') phone - 1983
oh and that small achievement called "The Space shuttle"
And then came the 1990's:
DVD - actually an improvement of the CD. So you can be entertained in your home.
Viagra - Oh, nothing need be said here
Wi-Fi - 1997 invention - legitimate way to sit anywhere and be self absorbed.
GPS - actually wasn't invented in the 1990s but achieved 'operational status' in 1993.
The World Wide Web (WWW) - was invented much earlier - but entered every household int he 1990s
How about the 21st century... Here is what the great inventors of our time are giving us:
Youtube - 2005
Translucent concrete - 2004
No-contact jacket - 2003
Blue tooth - 2002
What I am saying is there is a very, very notable decline in the ability for our current 'inventors' to think outside of personal space. Where are the new technologies for improving our way of life?
Just makes me think that as a parent, I really need to teach my children to be PRODUCERS and not CONSUMERS. This is another reason why Dawn and I chose to homeschool our kids - I firmly believe that our public school system creates workers and not entrepreneurs - we need 'out of the box' thinkers in our society - contributors - not 9 to 5'ers.
Just my rant for the day - (please note that I warned you with the heading on my blog, you might get offended - 'specially if you are under 40!
3 comments:
Dude. You have got to be kidding me. I don't disagree with the video. In fact, posted it on my blog a while back. And I can even agree we are too consumeristic today. EVEN my generation primarily. But you are ridiculous bro. You take it to a whole different level.
First of all...Rubiks cube? Seriously? Come on. You're really gonna include that on a list of inventions. Wow. In that case you also forgot bell bottoms, but I wouldn't claim those either if I were you.
DVD. Just an improvement on CD's? In that case, Cd's were just an improvement on tapes, which were just an improvement on records, which were just an improvement on eight tracks, which were just an improvement on reel to reels, all of which is used to be entertained in your home, also.
Pong - improvement on board games? Except less people can play it. Stinkin private consumers. Again, you're gonna include Roller blades?! Fine improvement on skates. Post it notes. Improvement on paper?
Then again, I guess you're right. Our generation shouldn't improve anything. We should still be using walkmans (very interactive by the way) and brick mobile phones (also could be a "legitimate way to sit anywhere and be self absorbed") and come up with completely new things so that you think we are inventors.
And in a few more years you may rewrite this and thank the Viagra creators of the 90's. (Sorry, had to get that one in there. Hehe.)
And finally, while I can appreciate your zeal for home schooling, of all the "producers" today, I imagine a fair percentage were probably products of public education.
End of my return rant...well...almost.
You forgot one other great thing to come out of the seventies and eighties. Us. Does that mean you take responsibility for those consumers of our generation as well? ;)
Bobby, You know I immediately thought of you when I saw the video - I can't put my finger on why though...
Yes actually - we (40somethings) do have to take responsiblity for our failures as well as our accomplishments.
The point is - what great things can the producers/innovators of the 90's and on later claim?
Nifty pictures on a MAC or a cool video streamed at HULU or on YouTube?
Yeah, there were some real failures in the 80's and the 70's and for that matter the 60's were a big let down - but there were so many advances during those decades that the 90's and on are insignificant at best in terms of contribution to society as a whole.
Think about it man - seriously - what is your generation becoming? when the primary method of communication is email/twitter/facebook/blogs - when was the last time you wrote a letter to someone (handwritten) - that wasn't to ask for support for a missions trip (sorry, had to put that one in there)? Seriously, a coversation with anyone under 25 is usually done by reading a screen!
You gotta admit, there is something to be said for feel of a real conversation over dinner with a friend than twittering your every move througout the day -
My point (yes I did take it to a new level, on purpose) is to make people think. . . If you are not contributing to society you are consuming - sucking the life out of the world that so many younger folks are doing everything they can to save from 'global warming' or other such environmental non-sense.
I'm with you, Rick. I saw the video a few days ago and couldn't agree more. You know what response you get from me? Amen, Brother, Amen!
Marie
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