Are People Getting Smarter?

10 Reasons Why  Justin Bieber is a Churl

I saw a disturbing headline when I logged in this morning, "World Markets Steady After Fed Policy Ructions."

What alarmed me was not the steadiness of the world markets, presumably a good thing, nor the fact that the Fed policy had ructions.  After all, if we have Fed policies at all, we have to expect a few ructions now and then.  What got to me was the use of the word ruction.  I'll admit it, I had to look it up.  Turns out a ruction is a kind of argument or quarrel, which makes sense; it sounds like it means something along those lines.

The nagging worry I have is that people, as represented by the internet, the most democratizing outlet of all, are beginning to become smarter.  Television was once accused of appealing to the lowest common denominator, but the internet falls below even that threshold.  There's not even a denominator.  It's like just an -ator or a denom or something.  But this ruction business gives me pause.

The entire history of mankind has been one of gradual stupidification; could the trend be about to reverse itself?  In the future will we see headlines such as, "10 Reasons Why Justin Bieber is a Churl," or "This Kitten's Droll Antics will Surely Bring You Mirth," or "Physicians Bear this Man Enmity for His Curious Weight-Loss Tricks"?

Time will tell.