Dumber Than Smarter

Instead of getting smarter, humans have started getting dumber. This is what researchers Bernt Bratsberg and Ole Rogeberg, with the Ragnar Frisch Centre for Economic Research in Norway, found through their study. IQ test scores have been slowly dropping over the past several decades. Prior studies have shown that people grew smarter over the first part of last century, as measured by the intelligence quotient — a trend that was dubbed the Flynn effect. But, now, according to the researchers in Norway, that trend has ended.

Various theories have been proposed to explain this apparent brightening of the human mind, such as better nutrition, health care, education, etc, all factors that might help people grow into smarter adults than they would have otherwise. Some of the decline might be due to environmental factors. Lifestyle changes could account for some of the decline, as well, such as changes in the education system and children reading less and playing video games more. Some of the decline might be due to environmental factors. But they also suggest that lifestyle changes could account for some of the decline, as well, such as changes in the education system and children reading less and playing video games more.

Apparently, Bratsberg and Rogeberg make no mention of smartphone’s role, but maybe there is no need. Or perhaps the fear of the degree of responsibility that this modern object may have in every area of our existence is so high, that, after all, we all gladly avoid finding any correlation — waiting for some encouraging results.

Unfortunately, the Norwich one is not the only study to show this sad and alarming trend. A British team recently found IQ score results falling by 2.5 to 4.3 points every decade since approximately the end of the second world war. But was all these studies really needed to realize that something in our brain was irremediably changing? Were they really necessary to understand that the increase in solitude, anxiety or bullying in the world was also probably a symptom of a decline in intelligence? Of a decline in passion and sexual desire? Dark times for sapiosexuals, indeed.

More on
medicalxpress.com