Kid Nation

Maturity is a tricky thing to identify. It comes at different ages for different individuals and can vary widely depending on how maturity is defined. And although we are magically transformed from a minor to an adult at the stroke of midnight on our 18th birthday, the process surely occurs gradually over a period of time. For the sake of feasibility, most of the rights and responsibilities of adulthood are granted en masse at an age where decision-making has been determined to be at least somewhat responsible.

There is a reason why we don’t allow children to make their own decisions.

And just because the clock has passed the midnight hour, it doesn’t mean new adults always make adult decisions.

We force children to do things they do not like. If we didn’t, there would be no vegetables on their plates; they would never do their homework; they would do exactly as they please whenever they please. Generalizations? Ok, fine. You have that one rare and exceptional 10 year-old who will ask, “Excuse me. What are the long-term repercussions of eating cake for every meal?” And congratulations, your kid will be supporting the other 99 percent who are not so special.

A recent video on the YouTube circuit is a class project from Kansas State University called “A Vision of Students Today.” It is filmed in a “low-budget” style and amounts to social science students answering and editing their own survey questions based on the state of education in America today. Wait - make that based on their perception of the state of education in America today.

It is compelling stylistically, produced in much the same way many other contemporary social commentary videos are. There is a key difference, however, between those commentaries and this one. This one has no relevant content. And it could have been so much more.

There are serious problems with education in America, at all levels. There are budgets being cut while administrators are awarded exorbitant compensation; reductions in course selection and increasing class size; and there are over-worked professors and grade inflation. Indeed, the basic writing skills of college undergraduates has become so dismal that curriculum and testing has been required just to insure graduates can at least write a simple essay.

Although the video did touch very briefly on the class size issue, the bulk of it amounted to little more than adolescent whining. One student holds a sign stating that only 18 percent of her teachers know her name. Really? That is interesting because all of my teachers know mine and I know that years later, they still do. How about putting away the laptop and participating in your education, honey?

Another’s says that she only completes 49 percent of the readings assigned to her and that only 26 percent are relevant to her life!

Well maybe if you read the other 51 percent you might find that far more is relevant than you think, sweetie. And are we talking about the 18 or 19 years of your life so far? Perhaps those in charge have greater insight as to what will be relevant in your life than you do.

The commentary has much to say about the state of modern technology as it applies to the life of the modern college student. The students appear to blame their access to and use of this technology for their inability to leave it alone when there are more pressing priorities - like homework.

Adding up their (self-described) daily activities, these students are running at a deficit of 2 ½ hours per day. Included in this 26 ½ hour day are: 1 ½ hours of TV, 3 ½ hours online, 2 ½ hours listening to music and 2 hours on the cell phone. Then there are those three hours in class and three hours studying - ah, the sacrifices of being a student today.

Poor babies! There is a reason we don’t let children run the world.