My name is Avery Andon. I am a 20 year old student at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. It is my belief that the bar has been dramatically dropped in terms of standard, pertaining to both modern day students, and the institutions that educate them. Let’s face it, we live in a 60-second microwavable society where children’s attention span is diminishing by the generation. The purpose of this letter is not the proverbial “Wake Up Call”, those haven’t worked in the past, and it would be presumptious to assume iy would for me. Instead, it is my semi-educated version of a solution. In a trend that I feel began with the introduction of television, and the birth of a mass media practically devoid of truely unbiased and morally sound icons, education has become more of a burden then the noble quest for knowledge it once was. The average American child watches an average of 25-35 hours of television a week, making it the top afterschool activity for students between the ages of 6 and 17. As a 20 year old making the jolty transition into adulthood, I can tell you that television influences every person I know in some way or another. Children base their fashion, music, and actions around celebrities,media moguls,politicians and athletes; creating a recipricol connection between stars and consumer products, hence the major endorsement deals most corporations dish out every year. I know your probably saying cut the crap and tell me how you plan on fixing this illicit “problem”, so I will. The only way to really get our kids back into learning, is by making it a socially and culturally attractive aspect of life. If we can get popular icons to show their lust for intellect, and reading especially, the effect could be momentous for American education. By holding “THINKFEST”, a festival celebrating and raising money for the gift of thought, that we as humans have been blessed with, it will bring attention to the underlying importance of education. If children can correlate the success that the rich and famous have reached, with learning and working hard, it will make them more inclined to work arduously in school. Thank you for your time, and I hope to hear from you. Avery Edward AndonMy phone number is 631-252-6218, I would love to meet or talk with you to see about your possible involvement in my project.
On a post-it note to the editor, I wrote similar concerns to you weeks ago, without any reply. Is this due to a lack of time, or a lack of concern for the education of our youth?
