Written By Ken Hulsey
Lately, I've been questioning the collective intelligence of the human race. It seems like I'm bombarded daily with an endless parade of stupidity. I don't mean to imply that I'm the brightest person around - far from it. I consider myself above average in intelligence, but my recent conversations have led me to believe that I'm an intellectual compared to most people.
This really makes me wonder - are people truly that poorly educated and uninformed? The evidence online would suggest yes, they really are. In our society, we're confronted with people who believe you can simply identify as anything you want to be. A man can claim to be a woman, someone can identify as a cat, and people think a child isn't alive until birth.
Meanwhile, many are convinced we must drastically change our lives based on a theory that the Earth's temperature could rise one degree in a century. There's even a growing contingent who believe the Earth is flat and the government is hiding this fact. Studies show shocking levels of scientific illiteracy, with one in five Americans thinking a Blu-ray is a sea animal, and one in ten believing HTML is a sexually transmitted infection.
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This really makes me wonder - are people truly that poorly educated and uninformed? The evidence online would suggest yes, they really are. In our society, we're confronted with people who believe you can simply identify as anything you want to be. A man can claim to be a woman, someone can identify as a cat, and people think a child isn't alive until birth.
Meanwhile, many are convinced we must drastically change our lives based on a theory that the Earth's temperature could rise one degree in a century. There's even a growing contingent who believe the Earth is flat and the government is hiding this fact. Studies show shocking levels of scientific illiteracy, with one in five Americans thinking a Blu-ray is a sea animal, and one in ten believing HTML is a sexually transmitted infection.
It's disheartening to realize how little basic knowledge many people possess, even with the wealth of information at their fingertips via smartphones. Instead of pursuing intellectual growth, the masses seem fixated on mindless online content - from videos of self-harm to cute animal clips, girls in bikinis jumping on trampolines and news derived from an endless flood of click-bait headlines. As a species, we may be in deep trouble if this is the state of modern human intelligence.
Unfortunately, recent scientific studies confirm our fears. Intelligence quotient (IQ) levels have been declining since 1975, reversing a century-long trend of rising IQs known as the Flynn Effect. Research indicates this drop in IQ scores is due to social factors, not genetic changes, with similar trends observed in Norway, Britain, France, and the Netherlands.
Potential causes for this decline include changes in education systems, nutrition, media consumption, and technology use. Studies suggest even the mere presence of a smartphone can impact cognitive capacity. In essence, our IQ levels are falling, and scientists largely agree the culprit is something social, not an increase in people with less-than-stellar genes.
For much of the 20th century, human intelligence steadily rose, a phenomenon dubbed the "Flynn Effect" after the New Zealand researcher who first noticed the trend. IQs were increasing by about 3 points per decade. But new research shows this effect has now reversed.
A study of nearly 750,000 Norwegian men from 1962 to 1991 found the Flynn Effect continued until 1975, at which point IQ levels abruptly began declining - by as much as 7 points per generation. Crucially, the decline was seen across families, indicating it was not due to more unintelligent people having children, but rather social factors.
Similar declines have been observed in other countries like Britain, France, and the Netherlands. Hypothesized causes include changes in education, nutrition, media, reading habits, and increased technology use - factors driving a worrying decline in human intelligence across the developed world.
The latest 2024 NAEP results reveal concerning trends in student academic performance nationwide. Fewer than a third of students are working at the NAEP Proficient level in reading, meaning they consistently understand and interpret written text. In fact, around 40% of 4th graders are performing below the NAEP Basic level, the highest percentage since 2002. These students likely struggle to recognize implied reasons for a character's actions. The situation is similarly troubling in 8th grade reading, with about a third of students failing to meet the NAEP Basic benchmark - the largest percentage ever.
On a brighter note, 4th grade math scores increased by 2 points on average nationally compared to 2022. Thirteen states, DC, Puerto Rico, and 14 TUDA districts also saw 4th grade math gains. Nearly 40% of 4th graders are now performing at the NAEP Proficient or Advanced levels in math. However, almost a quarter still do not reach the NAEP Basic level, suggesting they cannot identify odd numbers or solve basic unit conversion problems.
The 8th grade math picture is more concerning, with average scores flat compared to 2022 - a particular worry given the historic 8-point drop the prior year. No state or TUDA district made 8th grade math gains in 2024, and nearly 40% of students are working below the NAEP Basic level, likely struggling with concepts like using similarity to find triangle side lengths.
Overall, the 2024 NAEP results point to persistent academic challenges, with reading comprehension and 8th grade math as areas of particular concern. Addressing these gaps will be crucial for ensuring all students have the skills they need to succeed.
The alarming decline in average IQ scores and the inability of many young students to comprehend stories, grasp basic math, tell time, or locate Africa on a map should deeply concern us. Perhaps teachers should shift their focus from indoctrinating youth with socialist ideologies and gender theory, and instead prioritize fundamental subjects like reading, social studies, math, and civics. Emphasizing logic and critical thinking skills is undoubtedly crucial.
While the state of our education system is a significant factor in this intellectual decline, other contributors include poor role models in pop culture, diminishing real-world social interaction, a deteriorating moral compass, and a lack of emphasis on both education and faith. Relying on the government for solutions is unlikely to yield positive results, given the ideological homogeneity prevalent among policymakers and academics.
The question remains: can we refocus on substantive education, or are we doomed to become a nation of uninformed, credulous citizens who passively accept the narratives fed to us through screens, while our society crumbles around us?
While the state of our education system is a significant factor in this intellectual decline, other contributors include poor role models in pop culture, diminishing real-world social interaction, a deteriorating moral compass, and a lack of emphasis on both education and faith. Relying on the government for solutions is unlikely to yield positive results, given the ideological homogeneity prevalent among policymakers and academics.
The question remains: can we refocus on substantive education, or are we doomed to become a nation of uninformed, credulous citizens who passively accept the narratives fed to us through screens, while our society crumbles around us?
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