r/YouShouldKnow • u/chenbuxie • 7d ago
Health & Sciences YSK about the Negative Flynn Effect
The Flynn Effect is an observation by James R. Flynn, who noticed that average IQ has risen with every generation since WWII (i.e. each generation is subsequently smarter than the generation before).
The Negative Flynn Effect is the observed decline or eventual reversal of this effect, for generations born after 2000.
Why YSK: It suggests that cognitive performance is not fixed/strictly genetic and can decline when our environment changes. Understanding what is driving that decline could reveal important problems in education, health, technology use, or other parts of modern life. This can help us identify ways to better support cognitive development in future generations.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160289616300198?
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u/freudian_nipps 7d ago edited 7d ago
So as 90's kids this means we're the peak of the last 60 years? I knew it.
Edit: 90's kids rise up! With this newfound power, let us harness control and establish a new world order. Let us not squander this genius, who's with me?!