IQ Scores: A Troubling Decline
By Sarah Dreher
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The belief that human advancement leads to increasing intelligence may not be accurate, as studies from various parts of the world indicate a general decline in IQ scores.
The Flynn effect, first established in the 1900s, demonstrated that the average IQ score increased by 3 to 5 points every decade. This conclusion was accepted after decades of observing the higher scores produced when individuals took older IQ tests versus newer ones. The Flynn effect helped create the assumption that intelligence would continue to increase as time progressed and the human race became more advanced. However, recent studies have revealed that IQ scores are on the decline. The studies conducted in Denmark, Norway, and the UK, reported on as early as 2018, in addition to those performed at Northwestern University and The University of Oregon, have drawn the same conclusion. The trend observed has been credited to environmental factors, with genetics having little to do with it.
IQ is formed based on a combination of environmental and genetic components that each play their role. But the decline in IQ has solely been attributed to the changing environmental aspects that individuals face. Two specific factors credited for the decrease were nutrition and technology.
Processed foods, first introduced during the late 18th and 19th centuries, now are around 60 - 70% of all food available in the United States. Diets high in sugar, fat, and processed foods have been linked to lower IQ, as nutrition is critical to brain functions. Consistently eating food with low nutritional content can prevent the formation of new neurons in the brain and cause swelling within existing neurons. Neurons are responsible for the ability to move muscles, think, form memories, and numerous additional capabilities as they receive and send signals crucial to cognitive and physical functions. The addition of highly processed foods into the diet of the average person will continue to affect brain functions essential for intelligence.
Nutrition is not the only contributing factor, as technology’s prevalence within society has only grown. The average screen time in 2023 per day is 6 hours and 58 minutes. The recommended amount of time is less than two hours per day, becoming increasingly unrealistic as it has become ingrained into how society functions. Technology's impact on cognitive skills is profound, limiting the ability to analyze logical information and perform steps in problem-solving. It has additionally played a role in the poor education that some individuals are receiving. Not only does it act as a distraction from learning, but it also provides the ability for students to cheat and run applications that can write entire essays or code. While it does have countless benefits, it also has the potential to contribute to the overall decline in IQ.
The knowledge that intelligence scores are declining is of great concern for many scientists. The root cause of this trend is not easily fixed or changed, painting a somewhat bleak picture for the future as it seems intelligence will continue in a negative direction. The solution for this problem is anything but simple, but each individual can choose to implement changes within their own lives to better themselves, ultimately improving the whole.
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