Students at prestigious colleges are finding it increasingly difficult to finish entire books because they don’t have the necessary attention span. Some professors claim they’ve been forced to reduce reading assignments and lower their expectations to prevent students from becoming overwhelmed. It’s not that the students are illiterate, but rather that they have been trained by their smartphones and other instant technology to read short bits of information. One literature professor confessed that she used to assign 200 pages of reading each week, but has had to cut the requirement in half because of her disengaged students. Meanwhile, other professors have pointed out how students’ addiction to TikTok has caused a “crisis of attention.” While students struggle to get through a single book, they will spend 6 hours a day on TikTok. “My students are overstimulated, depressed and exhausted from mainlining TikTok and Instagram,” said Greg Wrenn, an English professor at James Madison University. He pointed out that students will often look up their study topics on TikTok to see if they can get a 15-second rundown. In 2004, the average amount of time a person could focus on one thing was 2½ minutes; now it’s 45 seconds.
Elite Colleges Struggle With Students Who Can’t Cope With the Strain of Reading an Entire Book
Students at prestigious colleges are finding it increasingly difficult to finish entire books because they don’t have the necessary attention span. Some professors claim they’ve been forced to reduce reading assignments and lower their expectations to prevent students from becoming overwhelmed. It’s not that the students are illiterate, but rather that they have been trained by their smartphones and other instant technology to read short bits of information. One literature professor confessed that she used to assign 200 pages of reading each week, but has had to cut the requirement in half because of her disengaged students. Meanwhile, other professors have pointed out how students’ addiction to TikTok has caused a “crisis of attention.” While students struggle to get through a single book, they will spend 6 hours a day on TikTok. “My students are overstimulated, depressed and exhausted from mainlining TikTok and Instagram,” said Greg Wrenn, an English professor at James Madison University. He pointed out that students will often look up their study topics on TikTok to see if they can get a 15-second rundown. In 2004, the average amount of time a person could focus on one thing was 2½ minutes; now it’s 45 seconds.
The 70-Year-Old Retiree Who Became America’s Worst Counterfeiter
Back in 1890, a 13-year-old boy named Emerich Juettner (pictured) boarded a ship in Austria and set off through choppy seas for the promise of a better life in America. He settled in New York City and soon found work as a picture frame gilder. His true passion, however, was the art of invention. He spent late nights tinkering with everything from a new type of camera (rejected by Kodak) to specially engineered window blinds (rejected by a window company). By 1918, he was happily married with 2 children and employed as a maintenance man at an Upper West Side apartment complex, and for several decades enjoyed a modest and uneventful life. In 1937, his wife unexpectedly passed away and Juettner, then 61, found himself alone and too old to work in maintenance. That left him in financial peril, so he came up with an idea. In his youth he had acquired an elementary knowledge of metal engraving, and during his time as an aspiring camera inventor, he had dabbled in photography. Before long, Juettner was busy replicating the look and feel of U.S. currency by transferring images of a $1 bill to a pair of zinc plates. On a small hand-driven printing press in his kitchen, Juettner began minting fake $1 bills. First off, no self-respecting counterfeiter would take the time and trouble to replicate $1 bills, but that worked in Juettner’s favor. He used the fake bills just enough to survive, never passing off more than $15 a week. He also never spent money in the same place twice. His “hits” spanned subway stations, dime stores, and taverns all over Manhattan. By 1947, the Secret Service had documented some $7,000 of the distinctive fake $1 bills, saying they were the worst counterfeit bills they had ever seen. In fact, one one set of bills Juettner had misspelled Washington's name. Yet, they were unable to nab the perpetrator. Finally, on a chilly afternoon in January 1948, agents busted into Juettner's brownstone, and instead of finding a criminal mastermind, they were greeted by a jovial 73-year-old. When confronted with the crime, Juettner confessed, “Of course I admit it. They were only $1 bills. I never gave more than one of them to any one person, so nobody ever lost more than $1.” On Sept. 3, 1948, Juettner went before the U.S. District Court, where he faced 10 years in prison on 3 counts of counterfeiting. He wound up being sentenced to 1 year and 1 day, with eligibility for parole after 4 months………and for good measure, he was made to pay a fine of $1. He was paroled after 4 months and returned to a life of normalcy, where he lived out the remainder of his days before passing away at the age of 79 in 1955.
Woman is Terrified After a Stranger Breaks Into Her House, Cleans the Floor and Takes Out the Trash
A UK woman who wishes to remain anonymous was left confused and shaken after a stranger broke into her house, cleaned the floor and took out the trash. Damian Wojnilowicz (pictured) admitted in court that he entered the woman’s home in Monmouthshire, Wales, without permission, while she was away at work. Upon her return, the victim found several items out of place and noticed a few household chores had been taken care of. She discovered her laundry had been hung out to dry, the birdfeeders were filled, the floor had been cleaned, groceries put away, and trash cans emptied. A note written by Wojnilowicz read: “Don’t worry, be happy, eat up and scratch.” The woman also found that Wojnilowicz had eaten some food and drank some wine, but he cleaned up after himself. This isn't the first time Wojnilowicz has been arrested for breaking and entering. In another case, he had a meal in a stranger’s home, washed his clothes, and again cleaned up after himself. In this latest case, he was sentenced to 22 months in prison. Could that be why husbands never do any household chores…….they don’t want to wind up in prison?
Maine Officials Are Warning the Public To Stop Feeding the Geese
The Portland Parks Department in Maine is putting out an alert, warning the public to stop feeding the geese. Canada geese often fly south for the winter, but a deformity called “angel wing” makes it impossible for the birds to fly. Angel wing syndrome is the result of the last joint of the wing being twisted, causing the feathers to point away from the body. This is a permanent, yet preventable, deformity, which makes the geese incapable of migrating. Veterinarians say the primary cause of angel wing is people feeding the waterfowl excessive amounts of bread, carbs and proteins. Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcock explained that it’s a classic pastime of people to grab a bag of bread and go to the park to feed the geese. While he acknowledges that people are trying to be kind in feeding the birds, he warns that they’re doing more harm than good. “Bad nutrition leads to this deformity, mostly in male birds. The feathers are growing faster than the bones that should be supporting that weight.” said Hitchcock. “Do not feed” signs have been posted in Portland and South Portland parks where geese and ducks are prevalent. Hitchcock suggests that if you must feed the waterfowl, feed them foods like kale, lettuce, seeds and grapes. “The more practical solution is to stop feeding ducks and geese, who are well fed without your help,” said Hitchcock.
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