I’m stupid and I know it
We’re getting dumber, let’s face it. We don’t use our brains like we used to. How do I know? I’m living proof.
I don’t know anyone’s phone numbers because they’re all programmed in my phone. I don’t know what channel TV shows are on because the TV is pre-programmed to record them. I don’t know how to cook because it’s easier to throw the frozen dinner in the oven and come back 30 minutes later – or grab a phone and order something.
Never more had I felt hopeless/useless than when I went grocery shopping with my mom last week. I’m a cheapskate, I’ll fully admit that. So, I always just buy what I think the better bargain is. There were some toughies that my mom cringed about. (My mom was a teacher for over 30 years, by the way.) When I say cringed, I mean reacting to my complete lack of basic math skills. My argument: I’m a writer, I don’t use math.
Take for instance the box of eight granola bars for $1.75 and the box of 40 granola bars for $7.50. I stood there thinking the larger quantity would be cheaper because that’s generally how bulk buying works. But is it? Do you know which is cheaper? Or would you whip out a calculator to figure it out? It isn’t about not knowing how to figure it out (I know how to divide) it’s the inability to do basic math in my head — something I used to be able to do no problem.
It seems like most people’s favourite phrase these days is “there’s an app for that” meaning you can download a program on your phone or tablet to assist you with life’s everyday tasks and not have to do the brainwork yourself.
It’s crazy that we show no interest in solving the actual problem ourselves, yet we’re fully committed to utilizing technology to solve the problem for us. We have little to no desire to learn the math ourselves but we have the attention span and know-how to use a program and device to figure out the answer for us.
An easy brush-up on math skills? Nah. But I’ll take the time to figure out how to use something to figure it out.
We feel smart when we know the ins and outs of the technology we use, which is comical to me, but we don’t know the basic formulas for actually solving the equation on our own.
I wonder if there’s an app that measures our stupidity level. Knowing society, most people would commit to finding that than improving their everyday knowledge.
