ParappaTheRapper
Ex-Bluelighter
I agree with a lot of people but here's another analogy. Compare, totally seriously, "Pete and pete" with "iCarly."
IDK whether I agree with that or not, I tend to think, as a society, we are 'more dumb' now that at any other time in history, just look at how we are bombarded with advertising and the type of advertising, they speak to us like we are 3 yr olds LOL, this tells me, 'they' consider majority of people to be fairly stupid and feel they have use 'little words' and repeat over and over so we can understand it.In fact, people are more awake in all ways than ever. The level of education is very high and the mental power is returning to the people. Those pulling the strings are well aware of this and if it seems more in your face it's because they're just teasing and playing with us.
I see what you are saying, and have to agree, somewhat anyway...( I do use too many commas LOL)School testing is standardized and the standards are increasing as we - as a society - learn ever more and have more to teach the next generation.
It's an illusion that this generation is less intelligent than previous generations. School testing proves no such thing.
Stupidity based on the dwindling linguistic skills of internet users such as yourself, is also an illusion.
Generations past might look at your use of commas or abbreviated terms and make erroneous conclusions about your IQ.
But that is just one generation failing to see beyond the limitations of their own culture.
We're all stupid, culturally and socially.
When I watch films made in the 1930s and 1940s I can feel my brain cells dying.
You mentioned advertising, which is a strange example.
Advertising from the early 20th century is crazy.
...
There are quite a lot of fields that are progressing so rapidly that the entire syllabus changes more than once every generation.
Mathematicians who studied in the 70s/80s had it easy. (I've compared the current textbooks to generations past.)