Why are a lot of kids today so thick?

Posted by Vast_Neighborhood821@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 37 comments

14m here, West Yorkshire high school, and I’ve been wondering how a lot of kids (especially in my year and younger) are just so utterly stupid at times. I mean, a lot of kids in my year can’t read an analogue watch/clock, or spell the most basic of words. I mean, I don’t expect them to comprehend the whole English lexicon, but come on. I mean one girl thought London was a country; and when I told her it was the capital city of England, she looked at me shocked saying, ‘It’s a country in England?!’ This girl… does GCSE geography. It’s just so frustrating that I can’t seem to have a constructive discussion with anyone my age anymore.

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37 Comments

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Professional-Day6965@reddit

There were always stupid kids. They grow up to become stupid adults and invariably have more stupid kids. Until someone suggests sterilising the stupid, this will continue.

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SentientWickerBasket@reddit

Why *is* Reddit always 10 seconds away from eugenics?

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Vast_Neighborhood821@reddit (OP)

That’s some Orwellian shit right there 😭

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Professional-Day6965@reddit

In 1984, the stupid were able to exist and procreate, but were kept separate from everyone else. This is more Aldous Huxley.

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SirDiesel1803@reddit

The skateboarder theory. A child takes up skateboarding. A few years later they become a very good skateboarder. They fail fail fail at every aspect. But they learn. Kids don't push themselves as much as other kids used to because they don't have to with the internet. A lot still do with sports and hobbies but that number has dropped because of internet connection. Not my theory I heard someone else say it and it sounds right

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niallw1997@reddit

No one has to think/learn anymore. The internet has actually made us dumber in the fact we don’t have to retain information anymore, it’s just there in a flash to be forgotten again or not thought through. It tells you what to do so there isn’t much learning through trial and error or critical thinking. It’s made us impatient. Everything is made generally reliable now so things don’t break or need fixing anywhere near as much now as they did 20-30 years ago. On top of that you have AI, which is now doing the thinking and more for us.

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Pale_Slide_3463@reddit

Idiocracy movie be a documentary soon lol

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BigSneeze0021@reddit

Don't be so quick to judge man. Some people genuinely have learning disabilities (this includes myself). I'm 22, I can't read an analogue clock or spell certain "basic" words because of my disabilities.

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Pale_Slide_3463@reddit

You knew London is the capital of England though?

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IridiumQuality@reddit

Children learn and develop in different ways and at different paces. You're a child who has developed differently from them. It's fine. Just don't turn into a tosser who openly believes they're the smartest person in the room. It won't end well socially. I used to be a teacher and my best friend can't spell Wednesday or knows where Israel and Palestine are. It's fine. She's awesome and we've been best friend for 11 years. That's true maturity. Being smarter isn't everything.

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PurpleOctopus6789@reddit

kids have a right to be stupid and time to get smarter. What is a problem is when adults are stupid. Also, if you have to ask that question instead of doing research, then perhaps you're not that much smarter than your peers.

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Ghostofthedramptybat@reddit

Technically asking here is kind of research - in a kind of sociological/anthropological kind of way.

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Mysterious_Bug_8407@reddit

Kids are dumb and ignorant. They're allowed to be dumb until they've learnt some stuff and got some life experience. One of the things to remember is that as an adult in a professional or skilled job you tend to mix with similar people. The less capable or thicker people in the office are still likely to be significantly above average iq. Most people are actually quite thick

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Diseased-Jackass@reddit

In short, the ones most likely to breed and in quantity are the least intelligent ones. So it’s basically a race to the bottom.

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IridiumQuality@reddit

"to breed". Bloody hell. I know exactly what you look like.

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Active-Strawberry-37@reddit

We took kids out of school for 2 years and told them to pretend to be sick. Their education suffered.

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Rabangus@reddit

My kids benefitted greatly from remote learning without the distraction of poor behaviour from certain pupils in class. Much easier for the teachers to just get on with teaching in remote lessons...

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Vast_Neighborhood821@reddit (OP)

It’s really all about how motivated the parents were to step in and teach their own kids.

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IridiumQuality@reddit

Where* you wally.

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Guerrenow@reddit

There can be many, many reasons. Some pretend to be dumb to be funny. Teachers might be shit. Some excel at other things outside of a classroom. Some grow up in terrible homes and education is the last thing on their mind. Some just aren't intelligent. Let people do their own thing and worry about yourself.

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JohnnyKruze@reddit

I teach teenagers in a college. I have to say, please return from your break at ten forty five. I can't say quarter to eleven as so many can't read a clock properly.

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Rabangus@reddit

Not really, we didn't help them much more. COVID just gave the school the opportunity to have more organised and focussed lessons, which was great for the kids who wanted to learn

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Less_Salamander4350@reddit

It's your school, you're going to leave school and if you get into a good place you might find yourself being the dumbest one in the room there, enjoy it while it lasts, it doesnt last forever.

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Groxy_@reddit

Yes kids are stupid like others are saying, but a combination of social media brain rot and parents that don't teach their kids basic skills has resulted in a more stupid generation. It really seems like millennial parents aren't up to the job relying on teachers to do basic things like potty training.

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Dannybuoy77@reddit

For lost things you can blame the parents. Good or bad

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Guerrenow@reddit

Should I blame yours for your awful English?

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bigmustard69@reddit

Mate we’ve all been 14. There’s always been the “London is a country” person. To prove me right I want you to watch educating Yorkshire that was made like 10 years ago and it was word for word the same. You’ll live and you’ll go uni when you’re older and you’ll find out clever people are thick in their own unique way.

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SinHarvestz@reddit

>There’s always been the “London is a country” person. Don't forget "England is my city!" from that god awful Jake Paul "song" lol

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Different-Employ9651@reddit

I think lockdown hurt education more than governments want to acknowledge, but I also think that parenting has changed. I was born in the early 80s. My Ma stayed home until I started school. She taught me to read and write, to read a clock, to tie my shoelaces etc. Parents these days don't always have the luxury of time to do that stuff, and the kids suffer for it.

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CuteChampionship6350@reddit

You are vile and not allowed on here child

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Rude-Application-603@reddit

You'll probably find a lot of it is a result of the parenting. If the parents struggled with their education, their kids might. If parents find it hard to parent and put their kids in front of a screen instead of teaching them, you'll find it harder to have intellectual conversation because more and more kids are being brought up by screens instead of people... Sad, but very real.

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kotare78@reddit

It isn’t just kids.

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3a5ty@reddit

This is the scariest comment.

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Alarmed_Crazy_6620@reddit

Special ed school?

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No_Potato_4341@reddit

Bad parenting. That's why.

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