Characteristics of today's students

We have discussed the Beloit College Mindset List, which characterizes today's incoming freshman class.

Michael Wesch's video Vision of Students Today is similar, but perhaps a bit darker. The video shows students in a large lecture hall holding up signs stating their characteristics.



Many of the characteristics it portrays have to do with the Internet and its implications and applications. For example:

• I spend 3 1/2 hours a day online.
• I will write 42 pages for class this semester ... and over 500 pages of email
• I will read 8 books this year ... and 2,300 Web pages and 1,281 FaceBook profiles.
• I buy $100 textbooks that I never open.
• I bring my laptop to class, but I'm not working on class stuff.
• I FaceBook through most of my classes.
• This laptop costs more than some people in the world make in a year.

The video was produced by Wesch and his cultural anthropology students at Kansas State University. Visit their Web site for more information.

Last, but not least, check out this Doonesbury cartoon.