Explore the recent decline in IQ scores in the US, with experts attributing the trend to the rise of technology. This article delves into the potential causes, including education, environmental factors, and the changing nature of intelligence in the digital age.

In recent years, experts in the United States have increasingly recorded that the intelligence of humankind is declining, but have Americans really become less smart than before? 

The fact that Americans’ intelligence has declined in recent years is indeed true. The thing is these are the results of research published in recent years. According to these studies, Americans lose up to 0.33 points of IQ every year. Remember that the average IQ is between 90 and 110 according to CerebrumIQ reviews.

This study caused a stir when it was published, and it was reported in alarmist tones in many media outlets. The study is based on an analysis of 820,000 IQ tests conducted in the United States. It concludes that the IQ, after constant progress, has begun to decline over the past 30 years. 

Can we measure intelligence?

There is a scientific concept called general intelligence, which is measured using a set of very diverse tests of all our intellectual abilities, taking the average of the scores obtained on all these tests. After we have obtained this average score reflecting general intelligence, we will try to relate it to the population of the country, so we create what we call an intelligence quotient. 

We can compare these IQ scores from generation to generation, and today we have been able to do this for more than a century. If we take the IQ of a modern person, who is on average among the population, it will be equivalent to the IQ of a gifted person a century ago.

How can this progression be explained?

There are several explanations for this, improved nutrition, and improved health. Both of these factors affect the development of a child’s brain. As well as improved education, the fact that all American children go to school, and very early, and the fact that the family and social environment is becoming more diverse and complex.

Why do we get the impression that the younger generation is “uneducated”?

In the past, great attention was paid to knowledge of facts, knowledge of all the names of departments and their capitals, knowledge of all historical dates, etc. This kind of knowledge is much less appreciated today, on the other hand, today’s youth have mastered many skills that the previous generation did not possess. Good knowledge of complex technological tools, internet navigation, etc. All these are skills that seem obvious today, but are not obvious and are due to the fact that these children grew up in a favorable environment for this. However, it is easier to get a bachelor’s degree today than it was 50 years ago.

Will IQ continue to grow or not?

If we take a more global perspective and look beyond the United States, there will be no global downward trend. We see that over the past two to three decades, there has been a trend towards a slower increase in IQ scores. In other words, our IQ scores are stabilizing a bit. In fact, this was quite expected, because we are limited by the limitations of our physiology, our brain, which has 100 billion neurons, and eventually there will be no more. The same is true with life expectancy, it has grown a lot, but we will not reach 200 years, it is already reaching a plateau.

Some people took the few studies that showed a downward trend in IQ scores very seriously and immediately put forward hypotheses such as the effects of endocrine disruptors, pesticides, or even the role of screens. The thing is that in the agricultural realities of America, such an opinion is really easy to impose, but the 100% effect of nutrition on IQ reduction has not yet been proven and is only being investigated.

Has the ability to concentrate deteriorated?

It is difficult to say whether our concentration among Americans has decreased, but many tend to believe that it has, since continuous consumption of content is especially common in the United States. There is no doubt that our environment is different, there are many more external requirements that compete for our attention and prevent us from maintaining concentration for half an hour while reading a book because a text message always arrives, and the phone rings. We become a kind of slaves to our tools, which constantly call us, and we have to remain their masters and, therefore, know how to turn off the phone when we decide to concentrate on a task for 20 minutes.

Conclusion 

The decline in IQ scores in the US raises important questions about the impact of technology and modern lifestyle on cognitive abilities. While some experts point to factors like screen time and changes in education, the complexity of intelligence means there are no simple answers. As we continue to adapt to an increasingly digital world, it becomes crucial to find a balance that preserves our cognitive health while embracing technological advancements.