Nincompoop nation?

An interesting Associated Press story last month highlighted what they call “The Nincompoop Generation.” 


It seems we have on our hands two whole decades of young people are are highly adept at computing, but terribly inept at everyday life.

Photo by DanaBC, used by permission

The article talks about one poor teen who didn’t know how to use a can opener. The mom said this, “Most cans come with pull-tops these days. I see her reaching for a can that requires a can opener, and her shoulders slump and she goes for something else.”

The much-vaunted “information superhighway” and “knowledge economy” has left us with a whole bunch of data and no way to use it.

I’ve been thinking about this article and the implications. Do we allow our children to solve problems, or do they just go to Google for all their answers?
I’m sure my parents thought that despite whatever i learned in school, I still lacked plenty of common sense. “Book smart, but street dumb” was my tag.

I’ve seen plenty of kids who defy the stereotypes. And my kids, ahem, are no dummies. They can fix things. They can analyze situations, and come up with practical solutions.

But I’m sure that all of our automation has prevented real-life skills. Have you tried to check the plugs on 2009 Toyota? Have you opened up an appliance, only to throw it in the trash because it’s a single component? Have you bought just-add-water bread mix, instead of yeast?  But are we really missing out?  

My grandma probably made fun of the washing machine. My dad chose to use a hammer instead of a nail-gun to roof. My mother gave up her corded, rotary phone just a few years ago.

So, progress isn’t all bad.

But our kids still need some basic skills to survive, don’t they? Don’t our kids need to know how to sew a button, or drive a screw, or read a map? Don’t they need to know how to mix a bag of concrete, measure a cup of flour or balance a checkbook?

What are the spiritual implications? We are already seeing a consumer church, driven by entertainment and CEO-pastors who run the business of the body. Small groups are waning. Relationships stiff and empty, longing for the chuminess of a Facebook friend.

Do you think we will be a nincompoop nation? Do you think we are one now? 

I’d be interested in your comments here.