How dumb are we getting?

This is rather an offensive question, but a question we have to ask ourselves. Open our eyes and see what effect media really has on us. Should it be the way it is and should it be considered appropriate for year 2008. We turn on television, watch news so that we could get informed about what is going on today in our state, our nation and around the world. But are we getting the right information or we're being more amused? Perhaps we're being told lies? A movie called "Network" is about what is going on in the media, it brings a great statement that people shouldn't be dependent on the media. And knowing that we can truly call this generation a television generation we'll take a look at US education level and see how dumb are we getting.

How could today's education be related to media? Simply. TV news don't just tell us important information, they'll make sure to entertain you with stories about Britney Spears, lost puppies, and other nonsense that makes you watch it. Because important news by itself would be boring. We do want to know what's going on in the world but we can't help but wanting to know more what's going on with Britney Spears. It's a subject we all know, we all discuss and got trap into waiting to see what other horrible thing will happen to her next. The more we watch the higher the ratings therefore more money.

Media also like to scare us with stories about certain food we shouldn't eat because we may get cancer from it. So we turn on our television next day to find out if anyone died from it. They tells us about murders, riots, deaths as if it was suppose to be that way, and none of us feel that it's real. It controls us ,and one could go crazy if followed everything he hears on news. Toothpaste is bad for you. What are we suppose to do, not brush our teeth? Obviously is bad to swallow it. Coffee is unhealthy, next day is good for you,carrots have the same amount of calories as cake does. These are just few examples they like to scares us with.

What about the over information of certain unimportant stories? It was heartbreaking to hear about actor's Heath Ledger's death but was it necessary to tell everyone which prescription drugs he took and how many to cause his death? This could be a great source of information for someone who wants to commit a suicide. Oh a bullet is too painful I won't kill myself, but here I saw on today’s news how to do it without pain one may say. And also on CW11 there was a story about anorexic girls website where they encourage each other to starve, give tips, etc. So CW11 evening news not only told everyone the name of the website, but filmed a computer screen showing how easy is it to find that website on google.com and gave a great preview. Come on! Was it necessary to give so much information to all the teenage girls that already are being brainwashed by other TV shows, magazines telling size zero is beautiful.

Certain stories get certain amount of time. An observation I came across watching ABC'S thirty minute news. News started with a crime story about killed children that lasted 2minutes.Announcement about runaway killer lasted 30secundes.Political news 2minutes.Two other crime stories that lasted together around 3minutes.Then weather 3minutes,Sports 5 minutes and 3minutes about the Oscars. So I'm sure not going to talk to my neighbor next day about the runaway killer because I didn't get enough information, only 30 seconds, but I will indeed know all about the Oscars and what dress Nicole Kidman was wearing.

"Network" by Sidney Lumet is a must see movie by everyone. It is hard to believe that this movie was made in 1976,because they show how media is today. It is truly a foreshadow to the future of wasteland of television journalism. The movie starts with TV news announcer Howard Beale telling the people on air that he's retiring because of the poor ratings, and in order to increase the ratings he will kill himself on air. That shocked people, because they weren't used to hear anything like this on TV news. Therefore on other channels and in the newspapers the main story was about Howard Beale annoucing he's going to kill himself. Right the way the ratings increased more people tune in to watch and one of the programmers named Diane noticed the increase and offered instead of firing Howard Beale to put him on the show to talk to the people. And so Howard Beale would bring everyone to the screens and he will say how God is telling him to tell people the truth.

"You're beginning to believe the illusion we're spinning here, you're beginning to believe that the tube is reality and your own lives are unreal. You do. Why , whatever the tube tells you: you dress like the tube, you eat like the tube, you raise your children like the tube, you even think like the tube. This is mass madness , you maniacs! In God's name, you people are the real thing, we're the illusion...".

This brilliant speech by Howard Beale makes you think more deeply and realize that there's so much truth in these sentences.Howard Beale tells the people to get up from their televisions open up their windows and scream "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore". And people throughout the nation that view his show start screaming. It is kind of ironic because even if people are rebelling against the television they're still doing what television told them to do.

Next day in the newspaper they show how Howard Beale is on the cover even though so many other important events have happened, civil wars, news about Vietnam. Reminds you of something? Yes the same way it is today, the most entertaining scandals get the covers. Television indeed is an amusement park.

"Less than 3 percent of you read books, less than 16 percent read newspapers, truth you know is what you get out from this tube".

Tube, a word Howard Beale used to describe television in the movie "Network". Now lets take a look at the level of US education compared to other countries.

Let's begin with the actual number of US students taking advance exams per 1,000. 66 in the US and 500 in Japan , Germany and France. That is 8 times more than in the US. And only 3 students out of 1000 pass this advance exam in the US while in Japan, Germany and France 57 times more.

We also have the lowest score in 13year old math in1995 report together with Spain, but the other 12 nations have much higher scores. England, Scotland, Ireland have the same score of 60%. Italy and France have a score of 64% and few percents below are Canada and Israel. The highest score has China of 80%. After China the highest scores are in Korea, Taiwan, Switzerland, Soviet Union and Hungary.

In science scores of the same year US has percent of 66 higher than Ireland and equal with China. Korea having the biggest score of 77%.

Compared with Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Israel in 1996 US had the least school days,178.Japan the most 240 days. These are rather old reports but as if it was then it is today a generation of television. Today the internet is taking over, so will the internet increase these scores or lower them? Does the television and the internet have an effect on our education? It does because as Howard Beale said only 3% of you read books. Our youth has to start reading more and do better in school ,it is a shame for so called super power nation to have such a low education level.

Drawings by K. Bendib

Charts from: Grandfather International Education Reform Report\par

Network by Sydney Lumet 1976