**Tl;dr: People are not getting less intelligent, social media like Facebook merely gives unintelligent people a platform to spread their views.** Many people in the 21st century are quick to say ‘people are getting stupider’, ‘the world has gone mad’, etc. However, in this century social media forms like Facebook, Reddit and Twitter give everyone a platform to speak. While in past centuries only those with an education were given a platform to speak. In the 21st Century, it is easy to believe people are becoming more unintelligent as Facebook spreads conspiracies like the recent popular yet unsupported theory that the vaccine is a way for the government to track people. It is easy to see these theories becoming popular and assume the world is becoming dumber, but these unsupported theories probably appeared in the minds of those in past centuries, yet people did not have a means to spread them. Before technology only published journalists and politicians could realistically spread their views to a mass audience. Today anyone can put their views on the internet and so more 'unintellectual' views will become popular.

QAnon conspiracies, Climate Change denialism, Racism, Antisemitism... all have very highly educated proponents all over the world. (In fact, to use just one example, there's [lots of evidence](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/people-furthest-apart-on-climate-views-are-often-the-most-educated/) that the most fervent Climate Change deniers are often the most educated) Democratising voice - giving more people a platform and the chance to speak out - in my view has been a tremendous net positive for society. It's allowed us to hear views and perspectives that have historically always been drowned out. What I think social media has done, however, is flatten the difference between experts and non-experts (by making share of voice a popularity contest rather than one around expertise), and make us question the terms on which 'authority' is granted. That can be a good thing - rich, white and male does not an expert make. Less good when we're questioning those with PhDs or decades of experience in a field...

**TLDR - I don't really agree with the idea that it is less intelligent people being given a platform, because I don't believe it is a matter of intelligence.** I think all humans are prone to being taken in by radical ideas that fly in the face of common sense. Whilst it may be that people such as anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists now have a platform to speak, it is also important to acknowledge the role that the platform has in shaping those opinions. The power of social media and the bubbles of opinion it is [destined to create](https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/problem-social-media-reinforcement-bubbles-what-you-can-do-about-ncna1063896), makes it incredibly difficult to get a wide range of opinions, and to know that you aren't getting a wide range of opinions. We assume that as most people have social media, then what we see on social media must be a broad spectrum of opinions, but this is not the case. In fact, it is one of the reason's for Parlia's existence, as often all we see are polar opposite opinions with no in between. I don't think intelligence plays a part in it. I think conspiracy theorists are born from a place of cynicism, such as a natural distrust in the government, or things we do not understand. The platforms that these people now have to speak on means that they will now also find more like-minded people, and suddenly the strength of their conviction will grow. I think a better term for it would perhaps be uninformed. Information from reputable sources lies at the heart of breaking down these theories, but even then we are always going to see cynicism towards any source that refutes a deeply held belief.

It's been shown that people are becoming less intelligent. They measure this by counting per-capita genius per 1000 of the population.

Of course the left wing nut jobs will disagree with this, not only are obviously the most effected by this new wave of idiocy sweeping the country, they are also to blame for it. That is to say, it originated from the left. This mass deterioration of intelligence, indeed this colossal regression of intelligence is clearly running rampant the country over, dare I say the world as well? If you are not aware of it or are someone who is blind to it which may likely result in ones tendency to disagree with this valid and important issue. If either of those be the case than Im afraid you have already been a victim of it unfortunately. My sincerest condolences. Tragic.