Are we getting dumber, or is the world just changing?
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Are we getting dumber, or is the world just changing?<br>Reflections on the widespread IQ drop
Giulio Faldetta<br>Jul 15, 2026
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Every generation believes the next one is getting dumber. This time, however, the data is making that accusation much harder to dismiss. For most of the 20th century, humanity was on a cognitive winning streak. Probably thanks to better nutrition, widespread education, and improved healthcare, average IQ scores steadily rose by about three points per decade. Psychologists called this the “Flynn effect,” and it felt like undeniable proof that we were steadily becoming a smarter species.<br>But around the turn of the millennium, the lift stalled, and then started moving backward.<br>Recent studies show that over the past few decades, IQ test results have been dropping across many highly developed nations. This isn’t just a pessimistic internet rumour, but a systemic shift in how human brains are operating. So, are we actually getting less intelligent, or are the tests just measuring the wrong things? And what happens to human innovation when we throw artificial intelligence into the mix?<br>Let’s look at the data.<br>The reverse Flynn effect: is the decline real?
The long rise in IQ scores began to break with the arrival of TikTok, or at least this is what some boomers might think, but the truth is that it actually began way earlier than most people realise. Extensive data from mandatory military conscription tests in Scandinavia (specifically Norway, Denmark, and Finland) showed that by the mid-1990s, younger cohorts had stopped gaining ground, and their cognitive scores were actually falling.<br>Independent researchers analysing data across Europe, Australia, and North America confirmed that average IQ scores in several developed nations have fallen by an estimated five to seven points per generation since that 1990s turning point. In the US, a recent analysis of nearly 400,000 Americans showed drops in verbal reasoning, visual problem-solving, and computational maths.1<br>Does this confirm that we are getting dumber?<br>The drop in scores is mathematically confirmed, but the debate is still open on what the drop actually means.<br>If we look at the timeline, the reversal began with Gen X and early Millennials in the 1990s, long before smartphones, social media, or AI tools became part of our daily lives. This suggests the initial decline wasn’t caused by the modern digital dopamine loop. Instead, researchers point to broader environmental shifts in how we live, learn, and work.<br>It’s also important to notice that scores have not declined evenly in all areas of IQ tests. While Americans performed worse in verbal and mathematical reasoning, their scores in 3D spatial rotation actually increased. It seems our brains are not rotting after all, or at least not fully. They have simply adapted to an ecosystem that rewards visual processing and quick filtering over deep, sustained concentration. The impact of that adaptation is still poorly understood. But one obvious question follows: if intelligence is adapting to different environments rather than simply declining, should we expect every society to adapt in the same way?<br>While the West has largely seen a plateau or decline, some data suggests the Flynn effect has continued, or at least stabilised without dropping, in highly developed East Asian nations like Japan and South Korea. Researchers often attribute this to differences in educational rigor, cultural emphasis on standardised testing, and different digital consumption habits.<br>If different environments produce different cognitive outcomes, then perhaps IQ isn't the whole story. Intelligence isn't just about solving abstract puzzles in a testing room, but also about how we process information in everyday life. And today, that environment is increasingly designed by algorithms.<br>Algorithms, “Anecdata,” and the death of critical thinking
Even if our cognitive skills started shifting when the internet was just starting to become popular, the modern social media ecosystem has weaponised that shift.<br>We have entered the era of anecdata , where personal anecdotes shared on social media often carry more weight than peer-reviewed science. We see this when people trust TikTok influencers over physicians for medical decisions, like injecting experimental peptides for building muscles. We see it in the political arena, where figures can simply dismiss the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change, and millions follow blindly.<br>Ironically, I'm about to use an anecdote myself. Unlike scientific evidence, my experience proves absolutely nothing. At best, it illustrates a pattern that the data might help explain. Still, I can't help noticing this almost every day: people sharing a controversial video or an article without attaching a single comment of their own. Or watching a film, immediately searching for a YouTube review, and then...