The Dumbing Down of America 2.0
Back in 1995, astronomer Carl Sagan wrote a book called, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark. In it, he makes a prediction about the future that I believe is happening before our eyes. Here’s what he said:
❝I have a foreboding of an America in my children’s or grandchildren’s time—when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what’s true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness...❞— CARL SAGAN |
Remember, he wrote this almost thirty years ago. He continues with my chief concern.
Carl Sagan introduces a term that I see in our nation today. He calls it “the dumbing down of America.” Although we are the most educated generation in history (at least formally) and have more content available to read, watch or look up, we seem to be on the decline in common sense, reason, logic, and sensible behavior. Do you see it too?
Just watch parents at a little league baseball game.
Just read the social media posts of people arguing about politics.
Just listen to the rationale people use for why they behave the way they do.
How We Dumb Things Down
Dr. Sagan writes: “The dumbing down of America is most evident in the slow decay of substantive content in the enormously influential media, the 30 second sound bites (now down to 10 seconds or less), lowest common denominator programming, credulous presentations on pseudoscience and superstition, but especially a kind of celebration of ignorance.”
More people know reality television stars than they do key figures shaping culture and politics.
More people are now watching shows like Vanderpump Rules, Too Hot to Handle, Real Housewives, and The Kardashians than intelligent shows or news broadcasts. We even admit it and call it “trash TV.” Yet, it doesn’t stop millions of us from watching. And we always excuse it by saying something like, “Hey, I know it’s trash, but it’s my escape from the stress in my life.” That may be true, but unfortunately, we begin to normalize unreasonable behavior. Once something becomes normalized, it’s not so outrageous. Reality TV can also have a neurological impact and fuel aggressive behavior. Researchers from Central Michigan University found that people were more aggressive after being exposed to an episode of reality TV that contained verbal and relational aggression.
❝The physiological arousal from drama is exciting; increasing our heart rate, visceral arousal, and leading to the release of endorphins in the brain which are pain-suppressing and pleasure-inducing, not much different than the effect of some drug addictions.❞— DR. JULIETTE TOBIAS-WEBB, BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST |
I’ll be the first to admit, I like watching something stupid for entertainment occasionally. I have a ridiculous sense of humor. But I know I must not laugh more than I think. I must seek to engage more than I seek to escape. We’ve evolved from The Three Stooges to Dumb and Dumber. Today, it’s everything from Beavis and Butthead to South Park to Smiling Friends to Robot Chicken. Whether we know it or not, our consumption has negatively impacted our critical thinking skills.
While I recognize we desperately need stress relievers in our life, I know we can do better.
Three Doable Strategies
Set boundaries. For instance, determine you won’t feed yourself with trash TV every day. Put limits on yourself, like one hour every other day. Or even just once a week.
Replace “dumb” content with redemptive content. In place of the poor content you’ve consumed on social media or in the media, digest helpful podcasts or programs.
Remember—you are what you eat. This is true for our minds as well as our bodies. Do an audit on what you’re watching or reading and choose to “eat” better mentally.
Although I don’t agree with Carl Sagan on every issue, I do agree on this one. We must not dumb down our lives or our children’s lives. He concludes: "We live in a society absolutely dependent on science and technology and yet have cleverly arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. That's a clear prescription for disaster."