Anti-Intellectualism and the "Dumbing Down" of America

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  • ponytd
    ponytd Nashville Posts: 671
    Go Beavers said:
    Do people think the general fund of knowledge is less?
    That a good question. I feel like people are getting dumber overall. But I don't have any proof.  Like someone else said by just talking to people on the street, I feel like people are dumber.  it's more of a common sense type of thing though, not really a lack of education. And that could be  just a matter of getting older, you feel that people are getting dumber. I know my parents when they were the age that I am now, felt that people were getting dumber. Is it just our perception that comes with age and we become more cynical?

    I do feel like, with the advancement of social media and how everything is right at our fingertips in this digital age, that people tend to be lazier. Most of the younger people (and by younger, I mean < 30) that I know, they seem to be pretty smart, but don't know as much about things that happened before they were alive. And this is just my observation, but I feel like it's not because they don't know, it's just more of a "if it hasn't happened in the last 24 hours, who cares". I feel like as a society now, we move on from things now and just forget them. Maybe it hasn't. Maybe I'm just turning into a crazy old man lol

  • gimmesometruth27
    gimmesometruth27 St. Fuckin Louis Posts: 24,405
    did you guys know chocolate milk comes from brown cows???
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • Bentleyspop
    Bentleyspop Craft Beer Brewery, Colorado Posts: 11,517
    oftenreading said:
    PJfanwillneverleave1 said:
    Go Beavers said:
    If you would've stayed in school you'd know that wouldn't be a vald sample!

    It's pretty funny when someone lectures about staying in school with a spelling error!
    Yeah, well, "vald" is Old Norse for "power", so Go Beavers is talking about having a powerful sample. As he should. 

    So there :). 

    My urologist told me I have a powerful sample
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,671
    Go Beavers said:
    Do people think the general fund of knowledge is less?
    It's constantly getting bigger and bigger.  But are we talking about society having massive amounts of data and knowledge or the general ability of people to use their brains?  Just about anyone can access the data but how well are they able to extrapolate concrete reasonable action from abstract notions or, for that matter, count back change without a machine?
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • oftenreading
    oftenreading Victoria, BC Posts: 12,856
    Bentleyspop said:
    oftenreading said:
    PJfanwillneverleave1 said:
    Go Beavers said:
    If you would've stayed in school you'd know that wouldn't be a vald sample!

    It's pretty funny when someone lectures about staying in school with a spelling error!
    Yeah, well, "vald" is Old Norse for "power", so Go Beavers is talking about having a powerful sample. As he should. 

    So there :). 

    My urologist told me I have a powerful sample
    Sorry to hear that. Antibiotics should clear that right up. 

    my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
  • eddiec
    eddiec Posts: 3,962
    I think the huge advances in technology, which has paved the way for the explosion of social media, has allowed us for the first time to see how dumb and backwards a lot of Americans actually are. I think levels of intellect have remained constant over the years. The only difference is twenty years ago you would have to personally visit segments of the country which have fallen behind in education, jobs and social mobility. Now those same people are sitting on a picnic bench outside their trailer posting to social media sites and it can be shocking to read how backwards and behind the times they are. 
  • unsung
    unsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487



    *I did not source check.*
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,671
    unsung said:



    *I did not source check.*
    Brown cows are larger than white cows and more violent (see dent on lower right brown cow milk).  The question is, to which political party do the most of the violent brown cows belong?
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • dignin
    dignin Posts: 9,478
    brianlux said:
    unsung said:



    *I did not source check.*
    Brown cows are larger than white cows and more violent (see dent on lower right brown cow milk).  The question is, to which political party do the most of the violent brown cows belong?
    That's mooist.
  • Halifax2TheMax
    Halifax2TheMax Posts: 42,646
    dignin said:
    brianlux said:
    unsung said:



    *I did not source check.*
    Brown cows are larger than white cows and more violent (see dent on lower right brown cow milk).  The question is, to which political party do the most of the violent brown cows belong?
    That's mooist.
    And there you go adding to the toxic discourse. Everyone knows that when you purposely use the word "moo" and add "ist" to it that you're subtly referring to the well established and respected moony religion and their adherents the moonies and using it in a derogatory nature. You're responsible for all bad things that happen. Shame on you!
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  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,671
    Halifax2TheMax said:
    dignin said:
    brianlux said:
    unsung said:



    *I did not source check.*
    Brown cows are larger than white cows and more violent (see dent on lower right brown cow milk).  The question is, to which political party do the most of the violent brown cows belong?
    That's mooist.
    And there you go adding to the toxic discourse. Everyone knows that when you purposely use the word "moo" and add "ist" to it that you're subtly referring to the well established and respected moony religion and their adherents the moonies and using it in a derogatory nature. You're responsible for all bad things that happen. Shame on you!
    I could use some moony.  Brother, can you spare a dime?
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • hedonist
    hedonist Posts: 24,524
    This sister can spare a dimebag.  Ha!

    The milk thing - what actually is the source for this?  I (somewhat) understand how statistics work but how many people were asked this?  Demographics, age, education?

    I guess I just don't want to believe that so many people are so clueless.  It doesn't make sense to me.
  • cincybearcat
    cincybearcat Posts: 16,880
    Go Beavers said:
    If you would've stayed in school you'd know that wouldn't be a vald sample!
    "Valid" ;)
    hippiemom = goodness
  • vogonpoetbythelake
    vogonpoetbythelake Posts: 2,146
    Guessing more than a few people were just having a bit a fun with another "dumb" survey...?
  • PJ_Soul
    PJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 50,759
    brianlux said:
    I hate to say it (because it wish it weren't true) but Cincy's suggestion too"Just walk around and talk to people" is what convinces me the U.S. as a nation is dumbing down.  True, I don't have facts to support it but empirical evidence convinces me that we're not getting any smarter. 

    Convince me I'm wrong, please!
    Sometimes things are just glaringly obvious, eh?
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • PJ_Soul
    PJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 50,759
    edited June 2017
    Go Beavers said:
    oftenreading said:
    Go Beavers said:
    They have to recalibrate the IQ test every so often, because what is average now would be above average in the past. 

    Walk around in 1968 and ask people where Vietnam is. 
    That isn't an example of raw intellectual ability, though. That's an example of fund of knowledge, which is very dependent on educational achievement and other social factors like parental support for education and reading.
    The topic is dumbing down. If we get into the debate about defining what's smart and what's dumb, it will sidetrack the thread. It is an interesting topic, though. I just gave two examples to support my position that we're not getting dumber. 
    I'm not sure what your first example was, but the Vietnam one doesn't hold water. People know that Vietnam exists because the war made it a part of US pop culture - i.e. Vietnam war movies, common cultural references, etc. I bet no more people would be able to point it out on an unmarked map, and many couldn't even explain to you in basic terms what the war was about back then, let alone tell you the most basic things about Vietnam as it is now. Back in '68 people had no reason to know much about Vietnam, but now that Americans were provided with a very good reason to know a lot about it, the majority doesn't know shit, besides what they learned from Platoon or Forrest Gump.
    Post edited by PJ_Soul on
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata

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