The article below is about the US, but could equaly apply to the UK. It's the dismissal of science, the arts, and humanities and their replacement by entertainment, self-righteousness, ignorance, and deliberate gullibility.
Mark Bauerlein, in his book, The Dumbest Generation, reveals how a whole generation of youth is being dumbed down by their aversion to reading anything of substance and their addiction to digital "crap" via social media.
Reality TV and pop culture presented in magazines and online sites claim to provide useful information that can somehow enrich our lives. After all, how else can one explain the insipid and pointless stories that tout divorces, cheating and weight gain? How else can we explain how the Kardashians, or Paris Hilton are known for being famous without actually contributing anything worth discussion? The artificial events of their lives become the mainstay of populist media to distract people from the real issues and concerns facing us.
https://www.sott.net/article/313177-The-cult-of-ignorance-in-the-United-States-Anti-intellectualism-and-the-dumbing-down-of-America
Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
Comments
This is why I was happy and celebrated when Gawker got pwned by Hogan and Thiel - my favourite wrestling team!! - because they pedalled this sort of garbage and directly contributed to the downfall of Western civilisation.
We need more John Locke in our lives.
Offset "(Emp) - a little heavy on the hyperbole."
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"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Shows like "Only Way is Essex" etc, they all act dumb as fuck on the show, but in reality they are all fairly highly educated and majority have launched brands and successful businesses off of it..
Shows like big bang theory has done something for it being ok to be smart, problem is they are all portrayed as losers/geeks/nerds what have you who are useless at life..
Elections are won by those who can slag off the other party/candidate the best..
I don't get it. It has ALWAYS been cool to be dumb. In some ways that's what "Cool" always meant - being slow to engage emotionally or with enthusiasm (example James Dean, coolest guy imaginable, died of showing off unless some forum dickhead has a conspiracy theory for us).
What's new is people like us whinging about it on the internet.
Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
It basically said, "Why can't everyone be as great as me!?"
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/tom-pearce/towie-tom-pearce_b_1599171.html
Granted, may have exaggerated when i said "all are fairly highly educated" - but some seem genuinely intelligent.
I'm not defending the show.. can't stand reality tv, just think it's interesting how acting stupid results in the monies..
FTFY.
Some things are better, it is getting more difficult to identify them.
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
About a year ago, I was having a debate with a guy on Facebook who I'd locked horns with a few times. My last interaction with him was when he sent me this (we'd been talking about whether we'd lost our sovereignty to the EU):
"Don't give me your statistics, I'm not interested. My opinion is what matters because that's what I'm voting on, and no amount of 'facts' quoted at me will ever change that."
That seems to be the ruling viewpoint now, and no amount of discussion or education can make a difference. I find it rather terrifying.
Did anyone else have that moment as a youngster where someone from a previous generation displayed an embarrassing failure to keep up with the changing world and then promise themselves that they would never be like that?
And have you noticed that it's always someone else's fault, and never the fault of the perpetrator? Always blame some other poor bastard for your actions.
I have noted that my son is spectacularly good in this respect.
I think that about sums it up..
Are there little kids out there who say they want to be youtube stars when they grow up? Sure there are. But no more than say they want to play *insert sport here* for England? Is that any less ridiculous or corrosive? I'm not sure, but it doesn't seem to draw the same invective.
I think you have to filter a lot of this sort of article for what essentially amounts to "I remember when bikes were bikes...."
Much more terrifying is the cowardice exhibited by political leaders, which is leading to anti-intellectualism being fostered and unchallenged at the highest level. But there, the dangerous people peddling that agenda are people with commercial or religious interests, not people leafing through Heat while they're taking a shit.