Have kids gotten smarter?

[GQgeek]

Regardless of whether kids are smarter, this thread now haz teh dumb. Lol @ the 18 year old.


BTW! I was told that I was a genius on multiple occasions today after my replacement said something to that effect to the President of the company. My mother always told me that, but it's nice to hear it confirmed by an objective source! Through selective breeding my kids are going to be even smarter! f34r for teh future, non-g33ks!

 

[rjakapeanut]

Originally Posted by superego

You seem to be confusing intelligence/smarts with familiarity with technologies or more generally, advancement. Each generation is necessarily more advanced than the one that came before it, else society is stagnant. That's not at all the same as saying subsequent generations are smarter than their predecessors.
not sure how you got this from my post, most of what i was implying was that from a common-sense standpoint that you only get from experience, kids these days get that alot faster than past generations. i think it's the exposure to information (through the internet and yes, TV, for better or for worse) that gives them that.

Originally Posted by breakz

Also, Google is like a calculator. You don't understand math just because you can operate a TI-83.
your statement is kind of skewed and doesn't really address anything specific from my post so i'll just have to go with a

here my main point: take a generation where 35 years ago you'd have to go to the library to learn about something and you'd have to actually go out into the world to gain life experience and compare it to the world as you see it today...the way that information is exchanged and how much more exposed we are to all sorts of information and knowledge... no doubt in my mind people just get smarter, and smarter.

 

[gwydion]

Interesting and relative read, I would think.

http://www2.macleans.ca/2008/11/07/dumbed-down/

 

[breakz]

your statement is kind of skewed and doesn't really address anything specific from my post so i'll just have to go with a

here

you're bringing the lulz...typing "jessica alba Appreciation" on a computer doesn't make your cousin smart.

no doubt in my mind people just get smarter, and smarter.

present evidence aside, if by smarter and smarter you mean

Originally Posted by superego

Each generation is necessarily more advanced than the one that came before it
then yeah you're right!

 

[thinman]

Twenty years of teaching college freshmen, seven years helping raise 2 stepdaughters through their teen years, and 2 years mentoring a 9-year-old through Big Brothers-Big Sisters has convinced me that the younger generations spend vast amounts of time finding information, but very little time and effort evaluating it or looking for patterns and connections ("If Wikipedia says it's true, it must be true"). Consequently, the younger generations have more information and are better able to find vast amounts of information, but are no more skilled at analytical or synthetic thought. Their play consists of video games and things like Wii-fit, so on average they are less creative and less athletic. My stepdaughters were both classified as "gifted" in school, whereas I would say they were both simply very talented, but not special in any real way. In other words, neither had a major accomplishment she could point to and say "See, I'm the best that I know in my age group at X". Part of this is the school systems' (and parents') misguided attempt to build self-esteem by classifying large numbers of children as "gifted". Part of the lack of critical thinking skills reflects limitations of current teachers and teaching.

I will also say that the very best and brightest I've encountered among the younger generations are absolutely astounding in what they can do. Those among "the youngsters" who really can evaluate information and think creatively are absolutely amazing! Their accomplishments will far surpass those of my (our?) generation.

Originally Posted by mickey711

I think you're making some very sweeping generalizations. An American Scientist article on the Flynn Effect states that the results of intelligence tests have shown that over the past century, the average IQ has been rising at a rate of 3 IQ points per decade with respect to broad-spectrum tests like the WISC and WAIS. The most significant increases, however, have been observed in g-loaded tests such as Raven's Progressive Matrices, which measures abstract reasoning.

Get your real data out of here. We want baseless speculation and anecdotes!

 

[mondayc]

I graduated high school not too long ago, but I have to agree. Most of my class graduated as idiots.

 

[Mountains]

I graduated high school fairly recently as well, and there were two sophomores in my multivariate calculus class.

Your mileage may vary.

 

[tiecollector]

Kids are coddled and are rewarded with mediocrity so that they don't feel left out. ("Participation" ribbons, wtf?) A few reasons why, but in the end, the bar has just been lowered in society all around and all our modern conveniences have made thinking and hard work obsolete.

My high school had some nationally ranked students but when I came to college I couldn't believe how many people sucked at math and writing a basic essay, and I'm no Gauss or Hemingway.

 

[GQgeek]

Originally Posted by tiecollector

Kids are coddled and are rewarded with mediocrity so that they don't feel left out. ("Participation" ribbons, wtf?) A few reasons why, but in the end, the bar has just been lowered in society all around and all our modern conveniences have made thinking and hard work obsolete.

My high school had some nationally ranked students but when I came to college I couldn't believe how many people sucked at math and writing a basic essay, and I'm no Gauss or Hemingway.

When I was taking business classes I found myself rewriting group projects because others wrote so badly.

 

[binge]

Not a day goes by where I am not told I'm a genius.

That handsome man in the mirror is so generous...and never wrong.