What is the cause of the dumbing down of America?

Answer 1

we are dumbed down by a lot of things! Parenting... we have a lot of people who have poor parenting skills out there who stick their noses in every ones business. Then there is the video games, television, and movies that have no educational value to them!!! What ever happened to families spending time with each other! Learning from each other! Oh yeah and the government who dumbs down our school so "no student is left behind!".

Answer 2

It's interesting you should ask this. I've actually read that there has always been an anti-intellectual undercurrent in the US. Some have suggested that this is because the original settlers weren't the intellectual sort, but rather no-nonsense, practical people who put a lot of stock in common sense rather than in erudition. The anti-intellectual current has manifested itself in different ways. For example, Henry Ford was strongly against "book learning". Not only that, but it can also be seen in the political arena. Many people have suggested that one reason why Adlai Stevenson lost the elections of 1952 and 1956 is because he appealed mainly to intellectuals rather than to mainstream America. Dwight D. Eisenhower appealed to mainstream America, mainly because he was a war hero and because Americans tend to value brawn over brains. Some have also suggested that this is the reason why some preferred Bush over Gore in 2000. Many perceived Gore as being pompous and stuffy and Bush as being "one of us". You also see it in the media. How often have you seen the so-called "geeks" and "nerds" negatively portrayed? Sure, they are sometimes the heroes, but intellectual people are usually portrayed by the media as being unattractive, poorly dressed, socially inept, and annoying.

Answer 3

1. The media putting out trash pop TV and movies. People don't even know how to read books anymore and watch *way* too much TV. (I refuse to pay for cable and so watch no TV at all. TV has really become highly undemocratic.) Americans are also massively sheltered. We've somehow come to believe we're entitled to ignorance about other cultures and the world in general just because we're slightly more wealthy. And I'll add apathy to ignorance.
2. Consumer culture and advertising; that is, advanced capitalist culture
3. Technology in general that makes things supposedly "faster" and "easier"
4. Spending $2 trillion on war and about 3% of that amount on public education and social programs excluding Social Security
5. I must also add religion. Compared to Europe, America is considerably more conservative.

Answer 4

I don't believe that america is 'dumbing down' in fact, I think that the problem is too MUCH information. Kids are bombarded with so much information on a daily basis, it is only natural that it would take longer to filter through all of that information. When you add the fact that the internet has no oversight and is free to publish whatever they want, a lot of MISinformation is spread as well, forcing the person to filter through more erroneous information as well. Add the fact that some media outlets rely on that, and actually bring lawuits that would ALLOW them to knowingly publish false information, and then add the fact that members of this particular medioutlet decry any information garnered by a public educational system to be 'liberally biased' then kids just simply don't know where to turn to get good information anymore. Good question. What do you think it is? Feel free to email me.

Answer 5

Mindless consumerism is the root cause of the dumbing down of America. We have been brainwashed by countless hours of television programming and commercials designed to keep us from thinking freely. The corporations have us exactly where they want us. We have become sheep.

Answer 6

The same groups that were dumb 50 - 100 years ago are still with us. The difference today is that school are pressured to give these groups HS degrees by lowering standards instead of letting these dummies drop out of school.

Answer 7

Cable news services which blur the line between entertainment and news, and cover totally irrelevant stories endlessly but dont make an effort cover a legit story for more than 30 seconds at a time.

Answer 8

Ironically, by becoming smarter we make ourselves dumber.

Technology has made it so easy that the everyday challenges of living are taken for granted, allowing us to place unrealistic significance of things like our feelings and personal agendas.

Don't believe me? Is there a common theme among the most of the other answers here?

Answer 9

It isn't one thing but a combination of many. Lack of good nutrition. Chemicals in our food. No Child Left Behind. Television,video games. Lack of parental involvement in some cases. Misplaced priorities as in giving wealthy schools more money instead of building up poorer schools. I like Bill Richardson's education plan. Don't like Hillary's.

Answer 10

Generations being raised by the TV instead of parents.