To think we’re getting dumber?

[ByMerryTiger]

AIBU to think people are getting… thicker? Not just ‘bit slow on a Monday’ thick, but ‘can’t read a basic sentence without spiralling into nonsense’ thick.

You see it constantly on here. Someone writes a clear post: paragraphs, punctuation, even the odd line break. And the replies come from people who’ve either skimmed one word and filled in the rest with fever dreams, or who seem to think reading comprehension is some sort of woke conspiracy.

Post: Neighbour offered me Battenberg after reversing into my fence, do I accept or ask for cash?

Replies:

• ‘Why are you so anti-cake?’
• ‘Maybe it was your fault for having a fence.’
• ‘You should be grateful she reversed slowly.’
• ‘My mother died in a freak fence collision and I find this offensive.’
• ‘Fences are a capitalist construct.’

The leap in logic. The total inability to process what’s actually been written. It’s like everyone’s brain has been replaced with a malfunctioning Alexa.

No one seems to follow a thread anymore, let alone a thought. You’ll get replies that directly contradict the post or themselves. Tangents about school shoes, astrology, or ‘back in my day we didn’t have fences’.

It’s not just here either. It’s emails, conversations, work meetings. Words go in, soup comes out. We’re a nation of people who couldn’t pass Year 6 reading SATs but think they should be in charge of policy decisions.

Anyway. Fence is fine. Battenberg was dry. Mind is unravelling.

I am worried about the generation of children growing up now. I accept that it’s anecdotal, but my friends who work in early years tell me the standard of language skills of the children has plummeted.

Many parents are on their phones rather than talking to their babies and young children, toddlers are watching screens, and some are starting preschool barely verbal.

So from that perspective, yes, I think we are risking becoming a lot less intelligent. Without strong language skills, so many other things will be out of reach.

You are quite right and have a metaphorical hug. I quite like Battenburg.

😂😂😂

I’m on the fence on this one

What level is acceptable and what do you propose we do about the 'unacceptable' ones?

it is an odden, especially when its already third hand news etc

I write novels, and therefore I get Amazon reviews. Some of these are so poorly worded that I can't actually tell what they thought of the book, and some reveal that the reader probably ought to have stuck at 'Janet and John', as they don't seem to be able to grasp any complexity beyond 'man and woman meet, have conversation.'

And do not get me started on the ones that say 'some of the words were too difficult - I don't want to read a book where i have to consult a dictionary every paragraph'. (I don't not use words in my books that I don't use in ordinary conversation).

Yes @MoistVonL I see this too. I'm not in that field for long but my colleagues talk about this all the time. Apparently their physical skills have deteriorated massively too, climbing kicking a ball, catching etc is behind where it used to be. They also seem to be sheltered in a bubble made for children and with little exposure to the real world. The 5 yr olds I work with are starting school in September and half of them think we pay in dollars. None of them know their address, most don't know their parents real names or occupations. More disturbingly, I realised last week many don't know their own name. Seriously how do you not know your name? I think parents used to make phone calls they would overhear but no longer do. Or they don't bring them along to normal appointments. Years ago a kid was brought to the bank or post office or shop regularly, some of these kids never go anywhere but soft play or playgrounds and don't interact in the adult world at all

@Dontlletmedownbruce going to the post office or bank is more stressful than it used to be now. Less staff and longer queues. Do I want to drag my kids to stand in a 45 minute queue in a boiling post office? Not really, it’s bad enough standing there on my own.

Hear hear!!!