As technology increases, so does the illiteracy of our youth. While scrolling on the web, I read an article about Generation Alpha and how they are illiterate. In fact, 65% of Gen Alpha children in the fourth grade cannot read.
This percentage is expected to grow not just for fourth graders but also for every other grade for Gen Alpha children. The only thing I can think of that is causing this problem is technology.
Many parents nowadays are not equipped to raise their children. Children are new to this world, so they need the utmost guidance. Instead of being patient with their children and educating them, modern parents place an iPad or phone in front of their kids and call it a day.
These children are not reading books anymore, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they never step foot into a library. As a Generation Z member and an avid reader, this breaks my heart. My mother always made sure to allocate time out of her day to ensure that my siblings and I read.
She would say, “Okay, y’all, it’s D.E.A.R. time.” The acronym stood for “drop everything and read,” and for 30 minutes to one hour, my siblings and I would read books that we chose from the library.
I also had the privilege of attending a school where education was valued and taken seriously. Our education system nowadays is inadequate. Students are not being challenged or encouraged the way that they should be.
Although the illiteracy amongst our younger generation is growing, I don’t think that Gen Alpha is a lost cause. It is very possible to change the trajectory of their paths if we all play our part.
First, more people should be aware of what is going on with our youth. Based on what I’ve seen, there is little to no outrage about this problem. An uneducated youth is a sign of a collapsing society. As a society, we have to save our youth.
Anti-intellectualism will be the metaphoric death of us all. Without great thinkers, there will be no innovation or progression. The next generation of leaders won’t be able to lead at all if they are illiterate.
This is as dire as I am making it because lacking the ability to think critically, analyze and make meaning is a recipe for disaster. Systems will become unchallenged, and things will worsen over time.
We should all be concerned about this issue and actively play our part to help instill respect for education back into our society, especially for the sake of our babies.
Amyri Jones is a 22-year-old digital advertising and religious studies senior from Baton Rouge, La.