The real truth here was the topic of consumers (literal) thinking they, or their kids, are "smarter" today because they can use an iPad. The general populous ha

The real truth here was the topic of consumers (literal) thinking they, or their kids, are "smarter" today because they can use an iPad. The general populous has always leaned towards consumption over building - but the great thing is now is one of the best times to really be a maker, considering most anything is easily attainable in a short period of time. But, will there be more smarter people? No. The reality is that all my friends and I could program the blinking VCR clock when our parents were few and far between in the 80s. Today it's the middle schoolers who have Arduino, Raspberry Pi and are writing apps they're running on VPS and IaaS. The game has shifted, but the average consumer is no "smarter". I had a conversation with a neuro Dr. once and he told me to think of your brain like an iceberg, one that melts as you get older or mess with it via externalities. Your mental capacity is reflected in the number of penguins that fit on that iceberg, and when you consume and learn other penguins get pushed off. We're not "smarter" but we no longer require the penguins that help us hunt our food. This is why over consumption of data you don't want or need is counter productive to your "smarts".