Life back at the beginning of the 1900s was very different than today. America had just come out of the Wild West, and things were starting to change. However, are people actually smarter than they were a century ago? The answer may seem simple, but there is far more to it than you may have ever thought…
Formal schools are a thing
One hundred years ago you would be considered lucky if you got to enroll at school. It was all about working as hard as you could as the industrial revolution took over. Although there were schools around, many people would only attend for four years before they began working. Now, it is usually the rule that we must stay in education until we are 18 years old. That’s 14 years of being in school. Surely that must have an effect on our minds?
Leaps and bounds in medicine
When looking back at all the advances we have made in the last century; it’s hard to ignore the incredible changes that have been made in medicine. No longer do we need to tap holes in people’s heads if they have a headache – there is pain relief for that! Surgeries mean heart transplants are possible, something that may never have been thought of 100 years ago. Plus, vaccines mean many diseases have almost been eradicated in the modern world. If that’s not smart, we’re not sure what is.
Internet in our pocket
It’s hard to ignore the elephant in the room: the smartphone. This piece of tech has made a huge difference in our lives as many of us now carry the internet around in our pockets. However, does this piece of tech really make us any smarter? Sure, we can now get an answer to anything almost immediately, but that might not be a good thing. Having the answer so easily could actually be hurting our minds rather than expanding them as studying for the answer is becoming a thing of the past.
So, are people actually any smarter?
In short, yes. But the answer might not be that simple. People’s IQs have been on the rise since the 1950s when IQ testing became a thing. At the start of the century, it’s thought that Americans had an IQ of around 70 compared to the average of 98 today. However, we have made no more advances when it comes to using more of our brains. Instead, us humans have become better at seeing the bigger picture as well as more able to deal with the complications in the world.
Will it continue?
If becoming smarter is on the rise, does it look as though this could soon become the norm? Well, many studies suggest we may have reached our peak. Several factors go into becoming the smartest you can be, such as your education, any traumas, and the house you get to call “home.” As research suggests that people have fewer children, it looks as though parents are able to show their current kids more love. All this love could go a long way when it comes to expanding our minds.
Being smarter might not be as easy as it once seemed, but us humans are making the most of our knowledge as we continue to learn about the world. Now it’s time to smash those figures out the park as we continue to become the smartest versions of us we can be.
