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It's not. Everytime there's a new form of media or communication there's an uptick in "bad actors". Think yellow journalism or any of the moral panics around TV

by chneu 2y ago

It's not. Everytime there's a new form of media or communication there's an uptick in "bad actors". Think yellow journalism or any of the moral panics around TV programming. Even back when the printing press was invented there was an uptick in troll behavior. One of the Green brothers posited that martin Luther was really just a pamphlet troll. With social media and the Internet, stupid just got louder. I don't think people got stupid.

croes 2y ago
Not just louder, it got in power
baxtr 2y ago
Yes. Exactly right. Also well documented. Anyone interested, read the book: Attention Merchants by Wu.
sdsd 2y ago
Yes and no. In swaths of the world, we're actually observing a reverse Flynn effect and IQ has been dropping, in some places for decades. Eg: https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a43469569/american-iq-scores-decline-reverse-flynn-effect/ https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a43469569/american-...
- _Algernon_ 2y ago
  This started long before the internet.
  - trollbridge 2y ago
    Started in 2006 in Denmark and seemed to start a few years ago in the U.S… coinciding with smartphones (which I think will make us even dumber).
- jimbob45 2y ago
  IQ tests are administration-sensitive and have changed dramatically since the beginning of such a Flynn effect study. The population makeup of many countries has changed in recent years to include many immigrants for whom the study would make exceedingly little sense to include. IQ tests do not cover and do not claim to cover a comprehensive view of human intelligence, famously lacking verbal and social components entirely. It is possible past IQ tests were simply overtuned and we’re now seeing the natural correction.
codeflo 2y ago
Amplifying stupid can be very deadly, though. In some sense, the printing press caused the 30-year war, and radio brought us World War II. Eventually, society will adapt. I just wish we could find a way to adapt faster than the bad actors do.
- disqard 2y ago
  (continuing in that vein, and taking the liberty of making a giant oversimplification): ...and TV brought us Ronald Reagan, and the Internet gave us Trump as POTUS.
- daseiner1 2y ago
  i think it’s consensus that yellow journalism directly led to the spanish-american war via hearst
- KineticLensman 2y ago
  > In some sense, the printing press caused the 30-year war, Well the 30-year war definitely showed technology-driven speed-up. Before the printing press we had wars that lasted for 100 years [0] [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Years%27_War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Years%27_War
  - codeflo 2y ago
    Just to be clear, that "speed-up" is not a good thing: Those 100 years were a lot less deadly in total. The World Wars were even shorter and much deadlier still. A possible next full-blown conflict between major powers will only last hours -- and end civilization.

by chneu 2y ago

croes 2y ago

Not just louder, it got in power

baxtr 2y ago

Yes. Exactly right. Also well documented. Anyone interested, read the book: Attention Merchants by Wu.

sdsd 2y ago

Yes and no. In swaths of the world, we're actually observing a reverse Flynn effect and IQ has been dropping, in some places for decades. Eg: https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a43469569/american-iq-scores-decline-reverse-flynn-effect/ https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a43469569/american-...

_Algernon_ 2y ago
This started long before the internet.
- trollbridge 2y ago
  Started in 2006 in Denmark and seemed to start a few years ago in the U.S… coinciding with smartphones (which I think will make us even dumber).
jimbob45 2y ago
IQ tests are administration-sensitive and have changed dramatically since the beginning of such a Flynn effect study. The population makeup of many countries has changed in recent years to include many immigrants for whom the study would make exceedingly little sense to include. IQ tests do not cover and do not claim to cover a comprehensive view of human intelligence, famously lacking verbal and social components entirely. It is possible past IQ tests were simply overtuned and we’re now seeing the natural correction.

codeflo 2y ago

Amplifying stupid can be very deadly, though. In some sense, the printing press caused the 30-year war, and radio brought us World War II. Eventually, society will adapt. I just wish we could find a way to adapt faster than the bad actors do.

disqard 2y ago
(continuing in that vein, and taking the liberty of making a giant oversimplification): ...and TV brought us Ronald Reagan, and the Internet gave us Trump as POTUS.
daseiner1 2y ago
i think it’s consensus that yellow journalism directly led to the spanish-american war via hearst
KineticLensman 2y ago
> In some sense, the printing press caused the 30-year war, Well the 30-year war definitely showed technology-driven speed-up. Before the printing press we had wars that lasted for 100 years [0] [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Years%27_War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Years%27_War
- codeflo 2y ago
  Just to be clear, that "speed-up" is not a good thing: Those 100 years were a lot less deadly in total. The World Wars were even shorter and much deadlier still. A possible next full-blown conflict between major powers will only last hours -- and end civilization.