News and event information for Williams Lake, BC - as it happens.

By Jasmine Hjelden

Are we intellectually lazy?

We have spent so much time and money investing in the future of our country. There are hundreds of programs across Canada devoted to children and youth, to bettering their lives and their education. So why is it that so many teenagers and young adults are not as educationally inclined as they used to be?

Recent studies have found that fewer college students are maintaining an interest in their studies. The gap between the “Daddy-pays-my-tuition” and the “I-can’t-afford-it” categories has grown substantially over the last couple decades and continues to grow.

They’ve also found that students read different books than they used to. In one such study, data was collected from university book stores to see what students were reading. In the 1960’s, young adults read Friedrich Nietzsche, biographies, philosophy, and the like. Now? They read Harry Potter and the Twilight saga.

I’m having trouble coming to terms with these findings. I’ve picked up an average novel here and there, and I have to tell you, I’m not impressed. I might be one of “those people” who genuinely prefer to read a book with a little substance. For example, my most recent favorite is a detailed history of the American Revolution. Jackie Collins just doesn’t do it for me. My point is that most twenty-somethings don’t seem to be interested in reading educational books on their own time.

I do understand that many readers do not share my enthusiasm for facts. I also understand that many in my age group don’t share my enthusiasm for books in general, so reading something like a biography on George Washington doesn’t sound like much fun. Unfortunately, in order to learn anything, reading is necessary. I suppose one might use books on tape. You might even get someone else to do the work. However, you’re not going to pass an exam by memory if you don’t do the memorization. 

If we don’t start paying attention to the world around us, to the history that built it, and to the issues that either affect us or will affect us in the future, we are going to be useless citizens. Without the knowledge that comes from educating ourselves, through school or with a library card, we will not be able to make informed, rational , educated decisions. Eventually, we will be the people in charge, and if the people in charge don’t know anything about anything, I will be one very concerned Canadian.

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