The Good ‘Ol Days
OPINION —
The news is in. Less than one third of Americans have ever written a physical letter in their lifetime.
Which isn’t surprising inasmuch as studies find that 76% of American students lack basic writing skills such as grammar, spelling, and knowing what to call those three little dot thingies at the end of sentences…
Two thirds of American students are not proficient in math. Only one out of every 15 students scores above average in algebra. Twelve out of every five Americans still cannot comprehend fractions.
And there’s more.
Less than one third of American young people are able to write in cursive. The rest don’t write at all. Many Generation Z adults say they have gone months, even years without using a pencil.
In other news, 54% of college students admit to using AI to accomplish academic writing.
According to the Center for Academic Integrity, 80% of college students have cheated at least once. Seventy-five percent of undergraduates admit to cheating more than once. Over 50% say they cheat frequently.
But then, what’s the big deal? After all, the US ranks only 16th in education. We are 10th in science, 34th in math, 60th in life expectancy. We are 38th in literacy, ranking below countries like Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and many other goat intensive nations.
Almost 80% of school children cannot name more than three US presidents. The most commonly named presidents among those under age 12 are: George Washington, John F. Kennedy, and Samuel L. Jackson.
In a recent survey, 70% of American students were unable to name a single American war.
Although, as it happens, it doesn’t matter. Namely, because a study conducted by the Pentagon shows that 77% of young Americans would not qualify for military service without a waiver due to being overweight or using drugs.
Two out of three American students admit to not knowing the lyrics to the national anthem. And over one quarter of survey participants did not know the Pledge of Allegiance.
Maybe it’s because everyone is spending so much time on their phones. God knows, we’ve got phones.
There are 310 million smartphones in America. Over 95% of American teenagers own smartphones, regardless of socioeconomic circumstances.
Seventy-two percent of teens admit that texting is their preferred means of communication, ranking above vocalization, hand gestures, and various gastrointestinal noises.
The average teen receives 237 phone notifications per day; or four notifications every minute. An average teen will send, on average, 100 texts per day.
And if that doesn’t convince you the good old days are over, each day the American teen will spend eight hours looking at a screen. Except on weekends, when they will spend 12 hours.
The average American will spend 11 years of their life on their phone.
Only 18% of American school kids ride bikes. Only 27% of children say they go outside their homes to play. Only 24% of American children have ever played baseball.
Upwards of 44 %of school children suffer symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Forty-five percent of children report symptoms of loneliness “often.” According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 49.5% of adolescents have at least one mental health disorder.
So if you ever find yourself with some free time, consider investing in a child.
They need us now more than ever.
Sean Dietrich is a columnist, novelist and stand-up storyteller known for his commentary on life in the American South. His column appears in newspapers throughout the U.S. He has authored 15 books.
