Well, of course, folks like myself born in the 20s will always remember Dec. 7th, but didn't she realize that December 7th brought us into World War II (the conflict that spawned Searching for Private Ryan in her day)?
I think she already forgot [or didn't know] the significance of Dec 7th. IMO, it's not the "date" that matters, it's the historical significance that matters. The date is merely how we "file it". Once we've lost the significance the date no longer matters, because there is no need to retrieve it.
As you imply, we've lost the significance of Washington and Lincoln and it's demonstrated by the merged President's date. President's day doesn't mean much other than it's a day of "Sales". Very sad.
Trying to impress my grandsons that their human mind is a computer only faster and more agile, and they should download good stuff into their memory bank. They don't seem to bridge the significance and connections between time, space, and events - and their own future yet.
I think that you've at least planted the seed; hopefully it'll grow. Technology is a blessing and a curse. PCs and the internet allow us to capture, or download as you put it, a fantastic amount of information; but it seems that too many people, particularly the youngsters, see the technology as an excuse to not take of the learning potential. When it sits on a hard drive or a server it's meaningless; when it's in your brain...that's the beauty of the technology.
All this concentration on high activity with immediate results using visual tools by reflexes results in a nerd mentality IMO
A year or two ago, I was listening to a few elementery teachers discuss their observations on changes seen in children. With the increased use of the net, they find that children are far more passive about learning and their attention span has dramatically decreased. Perhaps also exacerbated by fast paced entertainment. No doubt your familiar with the Maltese Falcon or Chinatown. The characters developed over the entire length of the movie. You have to think to enjoy the art. Today, you learn the totality of the character within the first 30 seconds of the first appearance... He either shoots the bad guys or he shoots the good guys.
I hope your grandchildren take advantage of your experience ... in fact, I hope they learn to exploit the hell out of it.
Cheers,
jttmab |
