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Are We All Smarter than Today's Fifth Graders?

Are We All Smarter than Today's Fifth Graders?

Jen Lancaster's avatar
Jen Lancaster
May 28, 2024
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Meet the Mess
Meet the Mess
Are We All Smarter than Today's Fifth Graders?
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(Preface: I am not trying to start fights.)

I have a legitimate question: are kids dumber than they used to be?

I don’t mean your kids; I mean kids in general.

I don’t think I was a dumb kid, even though the 1970s was a peak time for kids to be dumb. Mine was the last free-range generation. Seatbelts and sunscreen optional. My junior high friends used to smoke. Also, everyone had access to fireworks. Like, everyone. I am legitimately surprised at how many fingers my friends have.

Mind you, I’m not waxing nostalgic about this era because looking back at the lack of parental supervision, I feel such free-floating anxiety. Where were the rules? Where were the guardrails? Why did we need a TV PSA to remind our parents we existed at 10:00PM every night?

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