37/52 - Middle School
One of the many things I love about my granddaughter Lucy is that she LOVES to read. She approaches a trip to the library with the enthusiasm of a trip to Andia’s Homemade Ice Cream. If you don’t know Andia’s, you’ll just have to take my word for it. Lucy will venture to the library every three weeks or so and return with 20 or 30 books. And read all of them. She always has a book. Lucy also shares my love of the Great British Baking Show. I am grateful to her for introducing me to the very strange Is It Cake? Show -- I always get it wrong. Any family event is always an occasion with Lu, complete with Lucy-designed menus and individualized place cards. I could go on and on, but you get the idea.
And now, my sweet Lucy has started Middle School. Yikes.
Her start date is a year earlier than mine – her Middle School is grades six, seven, and eight, while mine was just seven and eight. But I can’t help thinking of all that is ahead for her. Mostly excitement for her, because I have confidence that she will do great things, but also a bit of trepidation. I pray that her kind, intrepid, inquisitive, and confident spirit will emerge unscathed from the dreaded Mean Girls/Middle School years.
I’ve been thinking about how different the world I faced entered Middle School is from Lucy’s generation. First, there is the sheer number of years between 1967 and 2024, which shockingly turns out to not be 20 or 30 years as I initially imagined (yes, self-deception is magic) but 57. 57. I then thought about the fact that the difference in our starting dates is the same as that of some intrepid Middle Schooler in 1910 and my own start date. Yikes.
I used to be fascinated (until it reminded me of exactly how old I was) with the annual Benoit College Mindset list, created to remind college professors how different their mindset was from that of the incoming freshman class.
The annual Mindset List was created at Beloit College in Wisconsin to reflect the worldview of entering first-year students—and to help faculty understand and relate to the incoming classes. In 2019, the list moved to Marist, becoming the Marist Mindset List. Under the direction of Beloit alumnus and Marist Associate Professor of English Tommy Zurhellen, the list has become a collaborative effort with Marist faculty and students from different disciplines with diverse backgrounds each year.
I thought I might ask my favorite AI Thought Partner, Claude.AI, how the world I faced in 1967 as a new Middle Schooler was different from Lucy’s. Here was the prompt:
“I (John) started middle school in 1967. My granddaughter Lucy started middle school this year (2024). In the spirit of the Benoit College Mindset list for college freshman, what are 20 things that I need to know about her world/mindset that are different from my experience?”
Here’s what my friend Claude.AI came up with:
This is an interesting comparison across generations! I'll create a list of 20 key differences between your middle school experience in 1967 and Lucy's in 2024, in the spirit of the Beloit College Mindset List. Here's what Lucy's world looks like compared to yours:
Lucy has likely never known a world without smartphones and constant internet connectivity.
For her, social media has always been a primary way to communicate with friends and share experiences.
Climate change and environmental concerns have been major topics throughout her entire life.
She's growing up with AI assistants like Siri, Alexa, and ChatGPT as everyday tools.
Lucy has always had access to streaming services for music, movies, and TV shows on demand.
The concept of "going viral" online is a normal part of her cultural landscape.
She's never known a world where same-sex marriage wasn't legal in the United States.
Remote learning and virtual classrooms have been part of her educational experience, especially post-COVID-19.
For Lucy, space exploration includes private companies like SpaceX, not just NASA.
She's grown up with diversity and inclusion as major societal focuses.
Lucy has never used a physical encyclopedia - online resources like Wikipedia are her go-to.
The War on Terror has been ongoing for her entire life.
She's always lived in a post-9/11 world with increased security measures.
Electric cars and renewable energy sources are normal parts of her world, not futuristic concepts.
Lucy has grown up with LGBTQ+ representation in media and popular culture.
For her, a phone has always been a pocket-sized computer, camera, and entertainment device.
She's part of the most racially and ethnically diverse generation in U.S. history.
Lucy has always known a world where the United States has had presidents of color.
Cyberbullying and online safety have been significant concerns throughout her childhood.
She's growing up in an era where traditional gender roles and identities are increasingly fluid and questioned.
Good luck, sweetie. I’ll try to keep up.
But I need to warn you. I will always be an annoyingly out-of-touch person with whom to watch the Grammys. Just ask GrandMug.
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