Deep Questions with Cal Newport

Episode 369: Why Are We Getting Dumber? A Debate
Release Date: September 8, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Cal Newport confronts the sobering data suggesting that, after decades of rising intelligence scores, average IQs are declining—a trend dubbed the "reverse Flynn effect." Drawing on recent academic studies, classic media theory, and his own critical analysis of technology’s societal impacts, Cal explores why intelligence measures are dropping, debates the dominant theories, and offers practical, actionable strategies for listeners to “get ahead in an increasingly stupid world.” The show also features listener questions on attention, productivity, work–life systems, and the ongoing debate around smartphones in schools.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Reverse Flynn Effect: Are We Really Getting Dumber? (00:03–08:15)

• Background: Cal recounts a 2024 essay by a Norwegian psychology professor who noticed recent IQ data reversing the classic upward trend described by the Flynn Effect. Instead of increasing, IQs have started declining since the 2010s.
• Recent Study Highlighted: Cal describes a 2023 Northwestern study (Journal of Intelligence) showing average IQ declines across all education levels and genders for Americans from 2006–2018. Only 3D rotational (spatial reasoning) test scores are still rising.
  • Quote:
    "The trend is very clear... the lines all head downwards. So we see, yes, this is the so-called reverse Flynn effect, in bright technicolor: IQ scores are getting lower."
    — Cal Newport, [03:58]

2. Hypothesis 1 – Post-Literacy: We Stopped Reading (08:15–13:00)

• Main Argument: Modern society has moved away from dense, logical argumentation found in print (books, newspapers) to passive media (TV, now smartphones). This shift weakens our analytic reasoning capabilities.
• James Marriott's Take:
  James Marriott (The Times of London columnist) clip:
  "Print requires us to make a logical case for a subject. A really significant feature of books is that if you make a case in print, you have to make it logically add up... If you lose these things in our culture, which I think we really are in the process of losing them, it's not surprising that people are getting stupider."
  — James Marriott, [06:19]
• Classic Media Theory Referenced:
  • Walter Ong and Eric Havelock’s analysis of “literate” vs. “oral” cultures.
  • Neil Postman’s 1985 classic, Amusing Ourselves to Death:
    "Under the governance of the printing press, discourse in America was different than it is now—generally coherent, serious, and rational. Under the governance of television, it has become shriveled and absurd." — Neil Postman (read by Cal), [09:00]
• Summary: Cal cautions not to treat post-literacy as the lone cause but as a major contributor to declining measured intelligence.

3. Debates and Other Theories (13:00–16:30)

• Not a Scientific Consensus:
  Cal reads from Elizabeth Dwark (corresponding author, Northwestern study):
  "There's debate about what's causing it, but not every domain is going down. One of them is going up... We need to do more to dig into it." — [13:45]
• Additional Hypotheses:
  • Declines in student motivation
  • Changes to educational emphases (e.g., more STEM, less focus on analytic reasoning)
  • Variability in motivation and research methodologies
• Cal's View: Despite alternative hypotheses, the post-literacy argument remains a strong, if not exclusive, explanation.

4. Hypothesis 2 – Attention Degradation from Smartphones (16:30–19:10)

• Cal’s Underappreciated Factor:
  Beyond how we process information, the smartphone era is uniquely degrading our capacity for sustained attention through constant “hyper-palatable” algorithmic content.
  • "We're in a post-literacy society, but also a post-concentration society. You put those together and we are accelerating our descent towards dumbness."
    — Cal Newport, [18:57]
• Evidence:
  • Reading declines began before smartphones, but the sharpest IQ dips began post-2010 (the era of smartphone ubiquity).
  • The steepest IQ decline is among 18–22-year-olds — the first generation through education with pervasive smartphone use.

5. Concrete Takeaways: How You Can Get a (Relative) Edge (19:56–30:05)

Cal’s Prescriptions for Countering “Dumbness”:

1. Delete Attention-Extractive Apps

• Remove apps whose business model is to maximize your screen time (e.g., TikTok, Instagram, ad-supported games).
• "Anything where your attention is what is valuable, get those off your phone, right? That's just designed to degrade your short-term motivational system..." — [20:36]

2. Join 'The Attention Resistance'

• For apps you must use, strip addictive features: browser plug-ins, disable recommendations, delegate posting, etc.

3. Keep Your Phone in the Kitchen

• When at home, your phone stays in a communal spot.
• "It's not a companion when you're at your house... Once you've gone just three or four days without doing that... your concentration ability jumps up." — [23:01]
• Same rule applies to teenagers; recommended as the greatest academic gift a parent can give.

4. Train Your Attention Daily

• Practice “Roosevelt Dashes”: short, ultra-focused bursts on tough tasks; increase duration gradually.
• Engage in “productive meditation”: walk without devices, use your mind to mull a specific problem.
• "This is calisthenics for your ability to pay attention..." — [26:19]

Bonus: Read more books to recover analytic reasoning despite society's waning literacy.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the twofold crisis:
  "We're in a post-literacy society, but also a post-concentration society. You put those together and we are accelerating our descent towards dumbness."
  — Cal Newport, [18:57]

• On attention-training:
  "Roosevelt dashes are actually a great training mechanism... It's just like doing interval training with running. The amount of distance you can sprint gets longer and longer as you keep pushing yourself this way."
  — Cal Newport, [25:22]

• On keeping your phone in the kitchen:
  "That's a hard one, but it's a critical one... Four days, your life will be different."
  — Cal Newport, [23:01]

• On parental phone anxiety as a new obstacle to school phone bans:
  "I've heard the same thing in some of the talks that I give, that part of the solution to getting kids off phones, especially in schools, is therapy for the parents."
  — Cal Newport, [80:15, approx.]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:03–08:15: Setting up the reverse Flynn effect; summarizing recent studies
• 08:15–13:00: Post-literacy hypothesis; James Marriott and Neil Postman’s perspectives
• 13:00–16:30: Considering alternative causes, research perspectives
• 16:30–19:10: Cal’s attention hypothesis; the compounding effect of smartphones on concentration
• 19:56–30:05: Four actionable steps to reclaim cognitive edge; elaborated strategies

Listener Q&A Highlights (37:14–78:12)

Managing Mornings on the West Coast (37:14)

• Block deep work into your calendar as “meetings.” Develop strong afternoon rituals for deep work to align with East Coast colleagues’ schedules.

Filling Every Moment with Media (41:04)

• The existential vs. universal problem: It’s okay sometimes, but not always. Add deliberate solitude rather than policing every use.

Regaining Focus after Busy Days (46:24)

• Tie off loose ends and leave narratives for your future self. Properly “shut down” projects to enable smoother restarts.

Transitioning Careers (53:06)

• Don’t “hope”—seek evidence-based explanations for setbacks. Only pursue further education if it’s a demonstrated requirement for your specific goal.

Starting Fresh in Academia (56:43)

• Use time blocking, set quotas for academic citizenship tasks, rely on autopilot scheduling for routine teaching work, and establish clear communication protocols.

Resetting after Overwhelm (69:44, call-in from Kelso in South Africa)

• For work overload: switch to a one-page productivity system short-term.
• For life overload: Reboot in critical areas (health, social, spiritual, work) with one new habit each, building up over weeks.

Case Study – Creative Focus Pays Off (66:41–73:13)

Rebecca, a musician/artist, credits Cal’s methods with transforming her creative output. After years of diffused focus and unfinished projects, she adopted daily, disciplined “deep work” sessions. Result: Her album garnered acclaim in Rolling Stone and Uncut.
Key Point:
"Most importantly, I no longer dread working on lyrics. I have faith that if I kept at it, I will eventually solve the song..."
— Rebecca, [68:22]

Final Segment: Cell Phones and Schools Debate (78:12–end)

• Recent Policy Trends: NY, CA, FL, and LA are implementing or planning statewide phone bans in schools, often with the support of teachers unions.
• Newest Source of Opposition: Anxious parents wanting instant contact with their kids, rather than educators or academics.
  • Governor Hochul: "That's a parental need, not a student need... The continuation of these patterns... was bound to keep children from emerging as fully functioning adults."

Podcast Tone & Style

• Language: Direct, practical, lightly humorous (“dumbness spice”; “attention is the thing where you have control”).
• Approach: Compelling blend of research analysis, philosophical references, technological critique, and hands-on advice.
• Memorable running jokes: High-intensity bass fishing, office décor woes, NFL content overload, Taylor Swift as a pseudonym.

Summary for Non-Listeners

Cal Newport’s “Deep Questions” #369 is equal parts urgent wake-up call and pragmatic handbook for anyone concerned by society’s creeping intellectual malaise. While the world is indeed “getting dumber,” individuals aren’t powerless: Train your attention, reclaim your cognitive autonomy, and you’ll stand out in a society increasingly adrift in distraction. The episode is rich with actionable tactics and plenty of fascinating cultural context, making it both an alarming and empowering listen—even if you never intend to take an IQ test.