Who Dumbed Down America?

Game shows have been dedicated to it, late-night television hosts have poked fun at it, and family, friends and acquaintances have been left with blank stares as their love one fails to respond with the correct answer to trivia based on common knowledge. Well, if you don’t know it, then does it actually constitute as “common knowledge”? Yes, it’s just not common to you.

Historical facts, current events, tension over seas and the like, are all supposed to be hot topics that you can readily converse about. What about those that live in the world but not of it? No, not the Amish or Mennonites, but those who work or attend school everyday but somehow, successfully avoid absorbing the same information that everyone else around them does?

It is quite possible to be an American and not know the names of the 43 Presidents. Forty-three? Is that the number? Or which side was which in the Civil War. Yes, they were the Union versus Confederate soldiers, but Grant and who else Tommy Lee?

This means neither that you lack the acumen, capacity or potential to learn, nor does it imply that you are unintelligent. What it does signify is a lack of or desire to be up to date on what’s going on. People just don’t care.

Why does this happen? What it really boils down to is that some people prefer knowing what immediately affects their everyday life and current situation. Anything else- though it may make them appear cultured or show they stay abreast of what’s happening on a wider scale- is secondary or even tertiary. Interests lie in self, family, friends and fellow man, who?

How can this occur? Well, you listen to music on the radio, except to hear about the weather or traffic where you’re headed. You turn on the TV shows you enjoy, meant strictly for entertainment purposes. If you’ve recorded them by VCR, DVD or digitally, at playback, you simply by-pass all the commercials, news-breakthroughs and anything else pertaining to something other than your favorite show. When it comes to print media– you know, newspapers, magazines etcetera– those are not considered or are only used briefly to check out horoscopes or some other trivial issue.

When it comes to the evening news, dinner is being prepared and or eaten. As for the late news, you’re already asleep when it airs because you’ll have to get up early to start your day all over again. And that, you don’t TiVo or set to record on your DVR. This cycle leaves you nearly oblivious, but not completely.

Things filter in by way of osmosis. It is by no means intentional and has very little if anything to do with something you’ve done. For instance, you may hear of something in passing, someone may mention it to you directly, or as you’re flipping through the radio stations or television channels, information blends through. The thing is, many times, it’s not enough to hold a conversation let alone be an authority on the matter. You might feel obligated to make comments like, “Yeah, I heard about that” or “That’s the guy who did that thing in that place… right… right.” You may pose questions like “What’s happening in Georgia? First, it was Louisiana and now Georgia too? What’s Russia got to do with anything?”

You have two choices: either stay as you are or join the informed. There’s information everywhere. Not all of it is legitimate or credible, but it’s out there. You’ll learn how to weed through it, and no one says you have to believe all of it. So, if you prefer to surf the internet and read blogs or lengthy blurbs (much like this one) to find out more of what’s going on in the world, in the United States of America or just in your state, county or city, then that’s better than not embracing the world around you at all.

It’s okay to be a little self-centered, just try being centered from a larger world view– one 12 block radius at a time. Once you realize the importance of discovering the larger world outside of your own little one, you can start to live and work for a greater purpose.

Just to let you know, I am no different. I’ve been coasting on auto-dummy for some time. So if by chance we meet, don’t ask me anything because I don’t know! I’ve recently discovered there’s another hemi-sphere and am still catching up! Though I would like to say, “I’m glad to be a part of your world, welcome to mine!”