Graduation is the end of an era and the start of something new. That sentiment becomes common as we approach the sappiest time of year for any college student. As a senior whose turn on the graduation chopping block has finally come, I’ve been reflecting on my time at school and my relationship with knowledge.
That’s why I’ve found some people’s reaction to graduation to be strange and concerning. I sympathize with Alice Cooper’s sentiment, “No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers, dirty looks.” I hate Canvas as much as the next guy. Unfortunately, I am here to rain on your parade. Just because your formal education may end in May, doesn’t mean learning ever should.
We are inundated with more information than ever before. On one hand, this is overwhelming and depressing. To be aware of the evils of the whole world all at once is new in the history of humanity. On the other hand, the information age blesses humanity with the ability to learn from our mistakes better than ever before.
As someone who minored in history and classical civilization, it’s remarkable how easily accessible very niche knowledge about our past can be. The fact that everyone is carrying in their pockets a repository of a large chunk of human knowledge and history that’s been compounding over centuries is remarkable.
As the generation with this “great power,” we have the “great responsibility” to use it. That means learning. With the dawning of the digital age, the classic “we didn’t know any better” excuse is being eroded away. More people than ever can “know better.”
People have the ability to learn new information every day. To better succeed as a society, we have to effectively use that privilege to stay up to date and try our best to keep the world from repeating its same mistakes.
Of course, easier said than done. In a world of gerrymandering and increased executive power, it feels more difficult than ever for democracy to work as intended, and for people to actually make the changes they want in the world.
However, that doesn’t negate the fact that we know that. It’s easier than ever to access information to learn about history, politics, economics and culture.
That’s why generative artificial intelligence and the rise of anti-intellectualism scare me so much. By normalizing either not caring or shortcutting learning, we’re cutting ourselves off from one of the only advantages younger generations have in a world where we’ve constantly had the ladder pulled up away from us.
That’s why it’s more important than ever that learning doesn't stop after graduation. Just because you have that degree, it doesn't mean you’re the smartest person in the room, or that you’re ever done learning and improving yourself. That’s how we end up with people living and dying by “facts” they learned in 3rd grade, and dismissing any new information by throwing up their hands and saying, “Well, it wasn’t like that when I was in school.”
If you have the means to keep learning, it’s entirely on you to do so, and if you don’t, then in some ways you’re doing more harm than if you never became “educated” in the first place.
Of course, constantly staying informed and challenging yourself isn’t easy. When we’re trudging through an onslaught of depressing information, designed to incite outrage, it can be really tempting to bury your head in the sand.
However, this act of self-preservation, while sometimes necessary, is inherently selfish. By ignoring the problems, you’re simply just buying time. Consciously or not, you’re just hoping that they become someone else’s problem.
Lack of information leads to a lack of action. Lack of action causes a lack of change. If you have the means to keep learning, you owe it to yourself and your community to do so.
Your decision to stay encumbered with your antiquated beliefs has impacts beyond yourself. By voting, raising children or simply living your life, you will have an impact on the next generation.
I don’t plan on having kids, but I don’t wish this feeling of hopelessness on anyone. The only way my generation and I can keep that promise is to keep learning. To not cling to the familiar as a crutch, and instead actively work toward updating our viewpoints every time we consume new information.
Even beyond the information I need to consume to be an effective journalist, I plan on staying up to date on world events via the news and continuing to study history and culture by reading books and watching lectures on subjects that fascinate me. Everyone is going to have their own approach, but as long as the gears keep turning, and you’re challenging yourself intellectually, you’re doing your part to keep yourself informed in a world that is changing more than ever.
Nicholas is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Nicholas about his column? Email him at nk696121@ohio.edu.
