Some depressing food for thought!
Just in case you weren't
feeling too old today, this will certainly change things.
Each year the staff at Beloit College
in Wisconsin puts together a list to try to
give the faculty a sense of the
mindset of that year's incoming freshman.
Here is this year's list:
The people who are starting
college this fall across the nation were born in 1982.
They have no meaningful recollection
of the Reagan Era and probably
did not know he had ever
been shot.
They were prepubescent when the
Persian Gulf War was waged.
Black Monday, 1987 is as
significant to them as the Great Depression.
There has been only one Pope.
They were 11 when the Soviet
Union broke apart and do not remember the Cold War.
They have never feared a
nuclear war.
They are too young to remember
the space shuttle blowing up.
Tianamen Square means nothing
to them.
Bottle caps have always been
screw off and plastic.
Atari predates them, as do
vinyl albums.
The expression "you sound
like a broken record" means nothing to them.
They have never owned a record
player.
They have likely never played
Pac Man and have never heard of Pong.
They may have never heard
an 8 track.
The Compact Disc was introduced
when they were 1 year old.
As far as they know, stamps
have always cost about 45 cents.
They have always had an answering
machine.
Most have never seen a TV
set with only 13 channels,
nor have they seen a black
and white TV. They have always had cable.
There have always been VCRs,
but they have no idea what BETA is.
They cannot fathom not having
a remote control.
They don't know what a cloth
baby diaper is, or know about the
"Help me, I've fallen and
I can't get up" commercial.
Feeling old Yet? There's
more:
They were born the year that
Walkmen were introduced by Sony.
Roller skating has always
meant inline for them.
Jay Leno has always been
on the Tonight Show.
They have no idea when or
why Jordache jeans were cool.
Popcorn has always been cooked
in the microwave.
They have never seen Larry
Bird play.
They never took a swim and
thought about Jaws.
The Vietnam War is as ancient
history to them as WWI, WWII and the Civil War.
They have no idea that Americans
were ever held hostage in Iran.
They can't imagine what hard
contact lenses are.
They don't know who Mork
was or where he was from.
They never heard: "Where's
the beef?", "I'd walk a mile for a Camel,"or "de plane, de plane."
They do not care who shot
J. R. and have no idea who J.R. is.
The Titanic was found? They
thought we always knew where it was.
Michael Jackson has always
been white.
Kansas, Chicago, Boston,
America, and Alabama are places, not groups.
McDonalds never came in styrofoam
containers.
There has always been MTV.
They don't have a clue how
to use a typewriter.
Do you feel old yet?