Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: "Once You Get Past The Vomiting, It's Liberating!"

Date: December 9, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty

Episode Overview

This insightful episode dives deep into the educational crises facing America, the impact of digital technology on learning and socialization, and the profound societal shift toward screen time over human connection. The hosts, with their trademark humor and candor, dissect recent headlines (Louvre damage, Hollywood mergers) before dedicating the bulk of the episode to a critical analysis of declining academic standards, the failures of modern education policy, and how technology is reshaping our personal and collective lives—culminating in a sobering look at how Americans spend their time.

Key Discussion Points

1. Louvre Water Leak & Media Spin

[02:57 - 03:43]

• The Louvre in Paris reportedly had hundreds of Egyptian books damaged in a water leak.
• Contradictory statements emerged; officials claimed “none of the books were damaged.”
• Armstrong and Getty mock the incident and the PR spin:

  "Very French thing to say, huh?" — Jack Armstrong [03:43]

2. UC San Diego’s Math Crisis & America’s Educational Decline

[04:08 - 12:37]

• UC San Diego’s new remedial math courses:

  • One in eight freshmen lack basic high school math skills; most perform at the level of 5th graders.
  • Even students with top high school math grades (A’s in pre-calc/stats) fail at basic arithmetic at college entry.
  • “Only about 40% could correctly round the number blankety blank to the nearest 100, which is a third grade skill.” — Jack Armstrong [05:11]

• Diagnosing the Crisis:

  • Abandonment of standardized tests (to promote ‘equity’) has failed to ensure incoming students are sufficiently prepared.
  • Rampant grade inflation in K-12 schools: high school grades no longer reflect true proficiency.
  • Poor teacher preparation; many new teachers possess weak math skills themselves.

• Critical Quotes:

  “This was a fraud. High schools have clearly been inflating grades beyond what many students earned or observed. And let’s keep in mind that anybody who suggests any significant reform will be beaten to death politically by the teachers unions.” — Jack Armstrong [11:57]

• Personal Anecdote:

  • Joe recounts how one of his children was given exaggerated grades, underlining the disconnect between reported achievement and real skills. [12:12]

3. Technology in Schools: "We Gave Students Laptops and Took Away Their Brains"

[12:37 - 22:58]

• Discusses research by Jared Horvath and others on the negative impact of classroom digitization:
  • Tech use in classrooms has exploded into a "$400 billion juggernaut" now woven into every facet of schooling.
  • More than half of students use screens 1–4 hours daily; 25% use screens for over four hours per school day.
  • “Researchers estimate that less than half of this time is actually spent learning, with students drifting off task up to 38 minutes of every hour...” — Jack Armstrong [20:17]
  • Strong correlation between increased screen time and declining test scores.
• Root Causes & Blame:
  • Global tech corporations (e.g. Google) have normalized data-mining and digital engagement in schools, creating “customers for life.”
  • “How did Google manage to get into schools to the point that it’s just de facto that’s the way we do things?” — Joe Getty [21:31]
• The “dopamine hits” and addictive design of ed-tech mirrors social media’s effects on diminished attention spans.

4. Societal Shifts: How Americans Spend Their Time (1930–2024)

[37:17 - 47:03]

Data Chart Review

• Animated graph tracks Americans’ time allocation from 1930 to 2024.
• 1932:
  • Family & school: ~22% each
  • Friends: 19%
  • Neighbors: 11%
  • Church: 10%
  • Online: 0%
• 1950s–1990s:
  • Gradual increase in social time with friends, coworkers, and outside entertainment; church and neighbors begin slow decline.
• The “Punchline”:
  • 2002: Online jumps to 6.5% (“not a significant factor before; then the internet arrives”)
  • 2012: Online use leaps to 26%; becomes top activity, surpassing all in-person interaction.
  • 2024: Online = 61%; Friends = 14%; Family/school combined = a mere fraction; church/neighbors nearly vanish.
• Memorable Moment:

  “Online, 61% [...] four and a half times the number that friends is. Coworkers has declined. Bars and restaurants has declined steeply ... Family is a tiny fraction of what it was. School has declined significantly. Church has been cut in half... It’s all online.” — Jack Armstrong [42:20]

• Sobering Perspective:

  “The drop off in time with family and friends towards staring at your phone ... What is there to say about that?” — Joe Getty [46:41]

Observed Consequences

• Epidemic loneliness, a boom in therapy, fewer close relationships.
• Google search volumes for “how to meet people,” “how to make friends,” and “feel lonely” have skyrocketed, particularly since COVID (2019–2024).

  “People are aware of how they feel, which, you think, I hope they’ll live to be a ripe old age. ... I’d love to see where the world is.” — Joe Getty [45:34]

Philosophical Wrap-Up

• Armstrong: Can’t change society (“it’s never going back”) but you can decide to change your own habits.

  “To be entertained is not to be nourished. ... You’re not getting nourishment. And then I’d realize they’re not listening—they’re staring at TikTok.” — Jack Armstrong [47:37]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Once you get past the vomiting, it’s just liberating to see the truth.” – Jack Armstrong [15:30]
• “Society is a collection of individuals. The idea of ‘I’m going to change society’—no, change yourself. Change the people you care about. That’s the only thing you as a human being should be worried about.” — Jack Armstrong [44:07]
• “Those of us who remember the before times are aging ... and there won’t be anybody that remembers what life was like before online.” — Joe Getty [44:25]
• “Everyone’s miserable. Loneliness is epidemic. Therapists are printing money. Interesting people don’t have babies. No babies.” — Jack Armstrong [44:38]

Major Transitions & Timestamps

• Louvre Leak & Media Reactions: [02:57–03:43]
• UCSD Math Crisis & K–12 Failures: [04:08–12:37]
• Grade Inflation & Teacher Deficits: [05:47–09:03]
• We Gave Students Laptops & Took Away Their Brains: [12:37–22:58]
• Digitization, Tech in Schools, Google’s Influence: [19:19–22:01]
• How We Spend Our Time — Historical Shift Analysis: [37:17–47:03]
• The Loneliness Epidemic, “How to Meet People”: [44:38–45:34]
• Final Reflections / Society Won’t Go Back: [47:17–47:53]

Tone & Style

Armstrong & Getty’s signature conversational, irreverent, and sometimes sardonic style pervades, lending humor to serious topics. The laments over societal decline are heartfelt, yet sprinkled with wit (“We’d beat it into them. Metaphorically speaking, of course.” [23:02]) and a sense of resigned amusement in the face of overwhelming trends.

Takeaway

The episode is a blunt, data-driven, yet highly relatable indictment of the rapid, technology-driven changes in how Americans interact, learn, and live—asking if, after the discomfort of recognizing these truths, there is a path back to deeper connections and a more nourishing life.

For more, visit: armstrongandgetty.com