Argus Poll: Modern Technology's Effect on Intelligence

By THE ARGUS STAFF

With the ubiquity of smartphones and social media, and the rise of short form videos, A.I., and “brain rot,” we felt it was time to ask teens whether they felt modern technology was in fact making people smarter or dumber.

Our May poll of 150 Midwood students found that 59% thought modern technology was making people dumber, 26% thought it was making people smarter, and 15% thought it made no difference.

However, when it came to themselves, only 34% of students thought modern technology was personally making them dumber, while 45% thought it was making them smarter, and 21% thought it made no difference.

In other words, students are worried about modern technology’s effect on society’s collective intelligence, but a majority feel that they have not been personally affected by this supposed decline.