The "Beloit Mindset" List

While checking out blogs of some of the ladies I know through an online forum I'm involved with, I came across a post with something called a "Bleoit Mindset List". I guess it's meant to show a gap in generations and their experiences. So I asked the blogger if I could use the list and put it up on my blog, and she agreed (Thanks, M) :) She used the list that was made for college freshman beginning in 2002.

So, I am making my responses to the statemenets below in bold. Let's see here...

1. The people starting college this fall across the nation were born in 1980. (I don't agree with this one because Jake was born in 79 and starting college right after his high school graduation in 1997. So there!

2. They have no recollection of the Reagan era, and did not know he'd ever been shot. (I don't really remember the era, but I've known since a young age that he was shot.)

3. They were prepubescent when the Persian Gulf War was waged. I believe I was in elementary school. I remember when my mom brought out my beach ball globe and showed me where Iraq was an explained to me what war is.

4. Black Monday 1987 is as significant to them as the Great Depression. Umm...no. What is Black Monday 1987? I was 3.

5. There has been only one Pope. They can only remember one President. Yes for only one Pope, but I can remember Bush Sr., Clinton, and Bush Jr.

6. They were 11 when the Soviet Union broke apart, and do not remember the Cold War. True.

7. They have never feared a nuclear war. "The Day After" is a pill to them - not a movie. I have feared nuclear war. It was a topic of great discussion in my World History class in my Junior year, which was 2001, by the way.

8. They are too young to remember the Space Shuttle Challenger blowing up. I don't remember the actual occurence, but my mom taped the news reports of it so I did see it via the news at that time.

9. Their lifetime has always included AIDS. True.

10. They never had a polio shot, and likely, do not know what it is. I don't know about the shot, but I DO know what polio is.

11. Bottle caps have not always been screw off, but have always been plastic. Umm...no. I've had experiences with bottle caps throughout my life, thankyouverymuch.

12. Atari pre-dates them, as do vinyl albums. Wrong! I played Atari (hello Centipede!) for years and my mom always played her vinyl records for me (oh yes...the Muppets Christmas with John Denver!)

13. The expression "you sound like a broken record" means nothing to them. I know exactly what it means.

14. They have never owned a record player. I was one of the few who did have a record player in my parents' giant stereo set. I loved that thing!

15. They have likely never played Pac Man, and have never heard of "Pong". Pac Man was part of my Atari game selection and I know what Pong is.

16. Star Wars looks very fake to them, and the special effects are pathetic. I don't agree with this at all. I like the effects in Star Wars.

17. There have always been red M&Ms, and blue ones are not new. I remember beige/tan M&Ms and I participated in the nation-wide vote for the new M&Ms color when the choices were pink, purple and blue (I chose Blue)

18. They may have never heard of an 8-track, and chances are they've never heard or seen one. Wrong! My dad's old truck (that was originally my grandfather's) had an 8-track player in it. I remember listening to The Bay City Rollers on the way to pick up a Christmas tree!

19. The compact disc was introduced when they were one year old. I don't know about that, but I didn't own a CD until I was in junior high.

20. As far as they know, stamps have always cost about 32 cents. No. I remember when they were 29 cents (which wasn't that long ago)

21. They have always had an answering machine. True.

22. Most have never seen a TV set with only 13 channels, nor have they seen a B&W TV. I have seen a TV with only 13 channels, and my grandfather had one of the first portable TVs that only played in B&W.

23. They have always had cable. I don't know about this. Mom? Dad? Chime in?

24. There have always been VCRs, but they have no idea was Beta is. Isn't that the movies that looked like records in the giant thin cartridges that were a PITA to play because they kept skipping from the dust?

25. They cannot fathom what it was like not having a remote control. The TV I grew up with didn't have a remote control and you had to change the channels using a dial on the actual set.

26. They were born the year Walkmen were introduced by Sony. I don't know.

27. Roller-skating has always meant in-line for them. In-line skates were introduced when I was in elementary school. My cousin Megan taught me to roller skate when I was about 6-7 years old.

28. "The Tonight Show" has always been with Jay Leno. We never watched it, so this might be true.

29. They have no idea when or why Jordache jeans were cool. I owned a pair of Jordache jeans.

30. Popcorn has always been cooked in the microwave. Wrong. I remember sitting on the counter while my mom and I popped air-popped popcorn in her popcorn popper thingy with the see-through yellow top.

31. They have never seen Larry Bird play, and Kareen Abdul-Jabbar is a football player. I was never into sports as a kid, so it could be true.

32. They never took a swim and thought about Jaws. True.

33. The Vietnam War is as ancient history to the as WWI and WWII or even the Civil War. Not true. It only took place about 15 years before I was born. That's not ancient.

34. They have no idea that Americans were ever held hostage in Iran. True.

35. They can't imagine was hard contact lenses are. Wrong.

36. They don't know who Mork was, or where he was from. Wrong! Nanu-Nanu! oh..and he was from Ork!

37. They never heard the terms "Where's the Beef", "I'd walk a mile for a Camel" or "De plane, de plane!" Oh yes I have.

38. They do not care who shot J.R. and have no idea who J.R. is. True.

39. The Titanic was found? I thought we always knew where it was. Wrong.

40. Michael Jackson has always been white. Nope. I grew up during his "transition".

41. Kansas, Boston, Chicago, American and Alabama are all places - not music groups. Nuh-uh! I grew up with Boston playing in my Pocket Rocker, and Alabama was one of my mom's favorite bands.

42. McDonald's never came in styrofoam containers. Yes they did. I remember when they did. There was a white one, a yellow one and even a blue one.

43. There has always been MTV, and it has always included non-musical shows. There has always been MTV, but I'm not sure about it always including non-musical shows.

It's amazing what some people think my generation knows/doesn't know. I guess I'm more well-rounded than I thought.