Demise of guys

Challenge Day 10. If you're not up on what I'm doing, I'd recommend going here because everything will make more sense if you do :)

Video of the day - Philip Zimbardo: The demise of guys? [Go here to watch the video on ted.com]

Thumbnail quote - "Boys’ brains are being digitally rewired for change, novelty, excitement and constant arousal. That means they’re totally out of sync in traditional classes, which are analog, static, interactively passive.” (Philip Zimbardo)

Why I chose this video - How could I not be intrigued by that title. I mean, aren't you?!

Summary - Well. Tough news, boys. Apparently you are falling behind women. Guys drop out of school more, get less education, and are more likely to be in special-ed school streams. They also are getting worse at face to face interactions, requiring constant stimulation and arousal, and becoming addicted to ... well, basically everything. But most of all, they are getting addicted to arousal. Apparently the internet makes it too easy to find that, and they are suffering in romantic relationships because those relationships develop gradually and steadily. Also, women seems to expect them to last. Arousal isn't like that, whether it comes from video games or porn or any other source. Philip Zimbardo says that  the only people who should care about this are "Parents of boys. And girls. Educators, gamers, film makers, and women who would like a real man who they can talk to [and] who can dance ..." Shit.

My Take-Away - Sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong era. My dad and my godfather and my honourary uncles were all born in the generation sometime between the time of chivalry and when feminism caught on as a common mind-set. They have this mix between believing and respecting women as complete equals but they also are chivalrous enough to hold the door open for a lady. Basically, I need a man who is from my parents' generation but my age. Ha.

This video was actually very amusingly delivered (and is less than five minutes long, so you can likely afford to watch it). I think he made some good points, especially about the internet and the pervasiveness of pornography. A generation ago, there was no such thing as the internet. People read books, and wrote letters, and spoke on the phone, and met face-to-face. I think it's sad that we're losing that. And apparently it's also having some pretty scary effects [which, I'm certain, are not limited only to boys].
I love snail mail. And phone conversations. But most of all, I love getting together with people. Reading their body language and facial expressions - most of the communication comes from those anyway. I don't want to lose those in the convenience of technology.