Has Society Become Collectively Less Intelligent?
Has Society Become Collectively Less Intelligent? Not dumbing down—it’s evolving smartness in a changing world Thoughtful Framing “Has society become collectively less intelligent?” is a question every generation asks. Socrates feared writing would ruin memory, critics of television thought screens would weaken minds, and today, smartphones and TikTok take the blame. But intelligence is more than test scores—it’s adaptability, creativity, and the ability to solve problems in changing environments. The evidence suggests society isn’t getting “dumber,” but intelligence is being redefined and redistributed. Has Intelligence Really Declined? IQ Trends: From Flynn to Reversal Throughout the 20th century, IQ scores rose steadily worldwide—a phenomenon known as the Flynn Effect . On average, scores increased by about 3 points per decade . But since the early 2000s, the trend has shifted in some wealthy nations. Norway, Finland, and even the U.S. have seen signs of the ...