What I've been reading

The Dumbest Generation (How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Don't Trust Anyone Under 30) by Mark Bauerlein.

Early in the book, Bauerlien tries to dislodge (successfully to an admirable extent) the quintessential and perpetual generation gap lament.
He makes a bold and honest case on the ground reality. Clay Shriky's and Jeff Davis's of the world have a passionate and (sorry to say) idealistic view because the reality is dichotomous. Overwhelming percentage of Millennials use the "digitial explosion" for extertainment and acquistion of knowledge not only is sidelined but mostly ignored (inspite of it's propitiousness).
To be fair to the Millennial's, the absymal standards parents provide today doesn't help. The cognitive surplus from the baby boomers to some extend has been the catalyst for this dumbest generation. The current foundation of  "Perpetual Adolescence" (more on that later) provides even worse standards to emulate. Here's some ground reality through the "Millennial's eyes" outside the digital realm,  unconsciously searching for paragons:(of-course there are exceptions)

• Since the day they were born, they probably would have never (or hardly) seen their parents read a book or have an intellectual passion for the happenings in the world. But when they reach their teen, they hear their parents preach the virtues of life and to their ears, it sounds like cognitive dissonance.
• The omnipresence of a curmudgeonliness is contagious and they see it as  essential part of life.
• "Politically Correct" society creates a dichotomous personality or creates a rebellion in them eschewing everything.

All of above for the syllogistic ease are bundled into peer pressure, which is one of major causes but not the only cause of this vicious downfall.
Recently I was listening to this excellent talk on TED Mid-Altlantic by Aneesh Chopra about Obama's request for need for self learning computer to personalize the learning experience. My view is even if knowledge comes in an instant "brain uploadable" format, kids wouldn't line up for it unless its perceived cool and goes with the ephermeral fad. This is a case of Bayesian Inference going bunkers, since these changes needs to come bottom-up and the geniuses have been perceptually trying for a top-down approach in vain. Thats the paradox we are facing and sooner we realize it, the better its for the society. Until then we have to be content with the occasional "Outliers" emerging out of the quagmire. Thats the way the world always worked and probably we got exicted by the hope digital revolution promised to break this visicious cycle. But these new breed of Outliers are going to much better since they realize the digital age provides an opportunity to master the reverse osmosis of knowledge.
One thing that's scary or could even be a solace, a hope is that there is good chance that the Millennials might be the first generation to defy death. What happens then? Will we have a dumbest generation forever or they would eventually catch up since time would lose its significance?

When I was kid, my mom used to say a quote which roughly translates in English  - " No one can wipe theft from the face of earth, unless and until the thieves themselves have a change of heart ." That probably will remain true until neuroscience and genetics catch up for good. No?

Until then the debate should continue and more books on this subject should be written since thats the only way we can keep the civilization, civilized.