Mental Floss 2014-07-31T05:22:32+00:00 2010-01-06T20:55:56+00:00 2010-01-06T20:55:56+00:00 The Last Decade According to 9-Year-Olds Chris Higgins

When I think of the last decade (starting in 2000), I think of it in comparison to previous decades. Being more or less a grownup, I can remember decades like the 80's and 90's quite well, and I've got some 70's in there too. But what about kids who were born at the beginning of this decade? What's their worldview like? Remember, these are kids who have been alive during a time when iPods, cell phones, and the internet were actually mature technologies. For me, all of those things are fairly recent miracles that have transformed the way I live. For these kids, it's just how life works. Also, these kids have grown up in a country that has been involved in several foreign wars nearly their entire lives; 9/11 happened when they were toddlers. How does that experience shape their thinking?

Filmmaker Allison Louie-Garcia made the following short film by interviewing a series of nine-year-olds in 2009, to explore what they think. The first minute (in which the kids give their birth dates) is a bit bland, but if you get past that, the kids' answers to various questions is fascinating -- and often funny. (Example: when asked about their biggest fears, most of the kids cited "Bloody Mary" as one of the worst.)

Some of the questions asked:

Who is the biggest celebrity?
Have you heard this song ("Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears)?
How old were you when you first used a computer?
Can anyone tell me what Napster is?
Trying to figure out what the sound of a modem is
Explain global warming; Who is Barack Obama?
What was the biggest news story of your lifetime?
What can you tell me about 9/11?
What is a terrorist?
Do you know anyone who's currently at war?
What are your biggest fears?


January 6, 2010 - 10:55am