Have we all just become a society of idiots?
in Psychology ·
Look, I’m not suggesting we ban social media or start censoring people and their posts. We live in a free society.
What I am saying is that this freedom and constant connectivity have triggered a massive decline in public intellect. It feels like we're building a society of idiots. You've got professional athletes and pop stars giving medical advice about vaccines. You see the daughter of a famous late rock star gaining a massive following and getting endless press coverage, when her only real claim to fame is... being the daughter of unnamed. Then you have the Kardashians, who are celebrities simply because they exist as celebrities.
Most people couldn't tell you who their Secretary of Education is or which department governs their profession. They can't distinguish between a simple brute and actual intelligence, and they lack any grasp of how the society they live in actually functions. Yet, they somehow know the name of unnamed's dog or the aunt of unnamed's husband. They track what someone ate for lunch or who bought a new jacket. They follow people whose entire "career" consists of posing in lingerie by a window while sipping coffee. But it isn't just about bodies; followers aren't just there for the physical appeal—they are consuming "content." That photo taken half-naked in Morocco? For someone like me who loves to travel, that image basically acts as a travel agency.
The world around you is literally telling you that it's better to pose half-naked as an "influencer" than to actually finish college.
I belong to the generation that was already established by the time this all took off. In my early twenties, I chose not to join Facebook, and by the time the current era caught up with me, I was old enough to see exactly what it was. If I had been born just a little later, I might be out there hanging off a cliff in Yosemite National Park right now just to impress some followers.
What I am saying is that this freedom and constant connectivity have triggered a massive decline in public intellect. It feels like we're building a society of idiots. You've got professional athletes and pop stars giving medical advice about vaccines. You see the daughter of a famous late rock star gaining a massive following and getting endless press coverage, when her only real claim to fame is... being the daughter of unnamed. Then you have the Kardashians, who are celebrities simply because they exist as celebrities.
Most people couldn't tell you who their Secretary of Education is or which department governs their profession. They can't distinguish between a simple brute and actual intelligence, and they lack any grasp of how the society they live in actually functions. Yet, they somehow know the name of unnamed's dog or the aunt of unnamed's husband. They track what someone ate for lunch or who bought a new jacket. They follow people whose entire "career" consists of posing in lingerie by a window while sipping coffee. But it isn't just about bodies; followers aren't just there for the physical appeal—they are consuming "content." That photo taken half-naked in Morocco? For someone like me who loves to travel, that image basically acts as a travel agency.
The world around you is literally telling you that it's better to pose half-naked as an "influencer" than to actually finish college.
I belong to the generation that was already established by the time this all took off. In my early twenties, I chose not to join Facebook, and by the time the current era caught up with me, I was old enough to see exactly what it was. If I had been born just a little later, I might be out there hanging off a cliff in Yosemite National Park right now just to impress some followers.