Dumbing Down of America

               For years I have read about the “dumbing down of America.”  While somewhat concerned, I gamely remained convinced that we really are developing as a society.  I mean, we continue to develop and invent new and creative things.  The “rating” system for our public schools is so artificial and so politically based that it doesn’t truly measure the great education we are providing our children.  That’s why I continued to cling to the idea that our society is not getting “dumber.”

               Until recently.

               It all started with a number of advertisements for various prescription medications.  Let me digress to say that I find these annoying in the extreme.  Usually the side effects listed for these meds are scarier than the itchy skin, allergies, or breathing problems you might actually have.  Plus, why do we have to advertise for these?  Don’t we think our highly trained doctors will recommend what we need?  (Oh wait, powerful leaders of insurance companies and pharmacies – few of whom went to med school – will dictate those things).  So maybe we do need to advertise.

               But they are ridiculous.  They suggest – or try to suggest – that if we ask our doctor and actually take these meds we will suddenly have a wonderful life.  We will play volleyball on beaches.  We will dance at parties.  We will sit in bathtubs in fields. 

               None of that – excruciatingly irritating though they may be – are what made me think we are getting dumber.  It’s the end of each and every one of those commercials that say “don’t take this if you’re allergic to it.”

               Apparently we’ve become so stupid we don’t know not to take something we’re allergic to.  It also begs the question of how are we supposed to know we’re allergic to it….unless we try it?

               Then I started hearing contestants on Jeopardy (arguably the most intelligent of the game shows around) speak.  Of course, they have to speak.  But it’s HOW they are speaking.  They passed the audition and have enough smarts to make it on this quite challenging show.  But many of them somehow missed basic grammar lessons in school.

               At first, I was just saddened that so many people pronounce the word “hundred” as “hunnerd.”  It’s unnerving, and automatically reduces my perception of their IQ by ten or twenty points.

               An alarming number of contestants begin every response to a question in their interview segment with “Yeah, so.”  Ken Jennings will ask, “did you travel to some foreign country?”  and the answer is “yeah, so, I went to India.”

               It gets worse.  Often, the response is “Yeah, so, me and my wife…” or “yeah, so, me and my friends….”  We learned this grammar lesson in third grade!  It’s “my wife and I” and “my friends and I.”  These are supposedly smart, well educated people. “Supposedly” being the operant word.

               The final blow to my inflated sense of society’s sophistication and brainpower came at a local high school football game. Two teams were playing for the league championship and everyone in attendance knew that one team was far better than the other.  But the less-skilled team  – all high school boys aged 14 – 17 – were giving it their all.  They didn’t do well.  The quarterback got sacked a lot and they were shut out.

               The “fans” of the losing team were the ones booing them the loudest.  They called out nasty remarks and names.  To their own team.  In front of those kids’ parents.

               I guess we really are dumber than I thought. Yeah, so me and my husband will have to think about that.  Maybe a hunnerd times.