Are we getting stupider?

[StealthPolarBear]

Or do manufacturers want us to think we are?
I bought 12yo ds some new socks today. A warning in red letters on the cardboard bit holding them together warns him to unroll them first so he doesn't get his toes caught 'in the loops'. These are bog standard plain grey socks.
I've just pulled a freezer bag out of the pack, the bag itself tells me solemnly I am to refer to the box it came in for use instructions. It's a freezer bag not a nuclear missile launch pad!

Biscuits with a 'serving suggestion' image ... of a plate full of biscuits.

Wouldn't have thought of that! I usually sellotape them to the lampshade and let people leap up to take bites out of them.

"sellotape them to the lampshade"
My stomach hurts (day three of the 30 day shred) and you're making me laugh

Technically we are getting cleverer.

On average, in all countries where we have data, average IQ scores have been increasing decade on decade. You probably score higher than your nanna. Your grand kids will probably score higher than you. It's called the Flynn effect.

Flynn himself has done a TED talk which explains his work (and some of the likely reasons for the effect) in brief. If you have a spare 10 minutes it's worth a watch.

I admit it all seems a bit implausible though.

I think we are, yes, and I think that technology is helping our decline in some ways

Yep, despite having a computer in our pocket (or on our wrist) that should make us the wisest and most intelligent generation, all we do with them are tweet inane messages, take pouty selfies and watch fluffy cats (or porn) on you tube. We are wasting a brilliant opportunity in a "dumbing down" race.

I saw a sign on a shirt saying remove baby before putting in washing machine 😂😫🧐

Yeah, it’s litigation. I did a course in writing warning labels once (which was as exciting as that sounds), and it was all about covering your arse.

«But nobody warned me this hot thing would be hot! Who do I sue?»

I didnt understand the question

Some people lack common sense, and because they don't want to admit how stupid they look blame someone else because they didn't warn them.

The set of kitchen knives I bought the other day are sharp. Thank the lord for that, I don't want to return them.

A bottle of milk labelled 'allergy information-contains milk'

Still better than a packet of peanuts labelled ‘may contain nuts.’ Why the doubt? Is there a chance it doesn’t contain nuts?

This is making me laugh!

Still better than a packet of peanuts labelled ‘may contain nuts.’ Why the doubt?

Peanuts are not nuts and it's possible to be allergic to tree nuts, but not peanuts, or vice versa. Those people need a warning that a packet of peanuts might also contain tree nuts.

Defiantly bigly

If this insistence on silly warnings continues how long before baby boys are tattooed with 'warning, may contain a dick'

Yes. Here is the science bit:

www.newscientist.com/article/2146752-we-seem-to-be-getting-stupider-and-population-ageing-may-be-why/

Apparently, a bag of peanuts may contain nuts. I would never have guessed!
Found that one pretty funny at the time.

Oops, sorry, see it's already been mentioned.!

Do they not mean turn socks inside out when you first purchase to check there are no loops? I used to do this with all babygros and socks for ds1 not just the first time but every time

At work there was a massive document on the intranet about what to do if there was a fire. At the top in red it said something along the lines of ‘if the alarm is ringing and you haven’t read this then do not stop to read this document’

It was literally about 50 pages 😂

:o

Who on earth do they think would try to push their feet into rolled up socks? Just as you couldn't get your whole body in a rolled up sleeping bag! But what are they on about 'loops', sorry my durr brain does not understand!!

Yep, despite having a computer in our pocket (or on our wrist) that should make us the wisest and most intelligent generation, all we do with them are tweet inane messages, take pouty selfies and watch fluffy cats (or porn) on you tube. We are wasting a brilliant opportunity in a "dumbing down" race.

Well said, it is time to add an extra type of 'techno dumb human' at the top (or bottom?) of Darwin's Tree of Life..

[[https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eurographics-Laminated-Evolution-featuring-Charles/dp/B06XPQ64G4/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=darwin+tree+of+life[[&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1548877865&sr=8-3

sorry, first para should have been in bold as it was another's post..

Screamingvalenta

I feel like we should remove all warning labels from items which only need common sense... wait a few years... Then redo the brexit vote.

I love that it says you have to dilute squash...
Student got a bucket and did it one bottle of squash to 5 parts of water .. it was too weak, he actually bought it back to the shop.... In the bucket....