Idiocracy Prophecy

"A word to the wise isn't necessary, it's the stupid ones that need the advice." --Bill Cosby

“Society has changed. The public is to blame as well. I think the people have gotten dumber. I don’t know that I would’ve said that out loud pre-my announcement that I was going to be leaving." - New York Rep. Gary Ackerman

In the movie Idiocracy, two average people awaken in the future where human society has been dumbed down to the point of being devoid of social responsibility or any hint of intellectual thought. The movie, which is a comedy and really not all that great, does raise some questions. Is it prophetic? Let’s hope not.

Let me start by stating that I do not consider myself of higher intelligence or importance than anyone else, quite the opposite actually. But I can't help but notice that there are many of us who have given up and have no desire whatsoever to improve themselves

Reading or watching the news, I'm often reminded of this silly movie, and i've noticed some striking similarities. Are we moving forward as a society, or regressing rapidly? I would like to believe that people were always doing dumb things only there was no 24 hour news or the internet to cover it.

Reading older books or even watching old movies, it is easy to notice the grammar was much better, the dress was more formal, and the mannerisms more polite. Society has changed, and to a certain extent that's fine. However, we may be getting a little too casual. Today people have no problems with throwing on a dirty tank top and pajama bottoms before heading out into public. An emergency room visit, sure. But buying stamps? Come on...

In the past, were we actually smarter? Did we work harder? I'm not sure, but today, it is far easier to fall into to a less than healthy lifestyle, both physically and mentally. We communicate by texting or instant message, we don't write in cursive, physical books may soon become a thing of the past, we drive everywhere no matter the distance, and we can't pay attention to anything for longer than a couple of minutes.

A trip to your local Walmart or grocery store is all it takes to face reality. What you find can be deeply disturbing or humorous, depending on your mood. Sure it's easy to laugh at someone wearing and ill fitting highly inappropriate t-shirt, but then you see that these people have little ones, yikes.

Are we actually dumber, or just lazier? Do the majority of us really want to sit on the couch eating hotdogs while watching sports or mindless television? I don't think so. But technology has made everything easier, including gluttony.

For some of us, it seems to be a lost cause. If what people post online is any way to gauge, then God help us all....

A Few Examples:

So what’s the cause of this, television, pop culture, bad parenting, the internet, the public school system, Jerry Springer? There are many opinions out there, take your pick.

Will the abundance of reality tv shows and dumbed down advertisements be our downfall? Is it too late to stop it? There's no way of knowing for sure, but it can be scary to think what lies ahead.