The Flynn Effect: Why Are We Getting Smarter?
The Flynn effect says that our minds change. We are getting smarter and have improved abstract reasoning. However, an increase in IQ points does not always go hand in hand with personal satisfaction or happiness. While it is true that we solve certain problems better each time, the emotional aspect is still unknown.
Much has been written about this theory since 1994, when researcher James R. Flynn from the University of Otago in New Zealand shared this news: Population IQ shows a steady increase. This is something that has been observed since the beginning of the 20th century.
Furthermore, other researchers and experts on human intelligence, such as Joe Rodgers from the University of Oklahoma, point to another interesting aspect. The increase in IQ points occurs every year. Rodgers concluded this after examining intelligence tests used over the past 30 years, such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC).
This attracts a lot of attention and makes us think. Does this mean that our grandchildren will be geniuses compared to us?
The Flynn effect and technological advances
The Flynn effect tells us that a child today will have approx. 10 points more than the parents in an intelligence test. According to this effect, it seems that the future of mankind goes hand in hand with much more skilled and sophisticated minds that have much more potential.
But experts in human intelligence clarified some important aspects. The increase in IQ reflected in intelligence tests does not mean that our “gross” brain potential increases in the same way. The improvement in our intellectual performance has taken a remarkable leap since the Industrial Revolution. Thus, aspects such as education, better nutrition or technological advances are stimuli that have laid the foundation for our mind to improve.
The Flynn effect has a direct connection to society and technology
In other words, intelligence develops as society evolves. We do it to adapt better. We must be in tune with this world, where information flows much faster. It is important for us to be a part of all technological advances, every change and every innovation. A fact that has been observed in intelligence tests is also the increase in the speed of response and the ability of current children to establish relationships between objects.
Children’s abstract thinking, as well as their speed of perception, improves year after year. Neurologists tell us that all this can also be due to new technology. Interactive screens, games and virtual realities that require quick responses are changing the way the human brain processes information.
We are not only getting smarter, but also… happier?
More than happiness, we should talk about personal satisfaction. Now we know that people are showing greater problem-solving skills year after year. They renew and promote the development of our society. Does this mean that we also experience higher levels of satisfaction and / or personal well-being?
Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University, published an article in the American Psychological Association Journal inviting us to reflect. The new generation, which some writers already call iGen, consists of clearly unhappy youth. Experts describe them as hypercoupled boys and girls who are dissatisfied and immature.
Technological dependence creates a new, complex scenario. Technology is becoming more and more advanced and more complicated. How we relate to ourselves and others has changed for many people. This includes how we see ourselves and understand the world. The Flynn effect can make us more intellectually skilled. But we must also learn to survive better in an increasingly technological and sophisticated context.
The Flynn effect and the theory of transhumanism
On the other hand, and as an interesting fact, it is worth mentioning the theory of transhumanism. According to this philosophical movement led by David Pearce and Nick Bostrom, two University of Oxford professors, the future of humanity actually looks very rosy.
According to them, humanity will take an evolutionary leap in the next century. Not only will we be smarter, but society will also be exclusively oriented towards happiness. But why? Basically, because advances in genetic engineering, pharmacology, intracranial stimulation and molecular nanotechnology will eradicate diseases and slow down aging dramatically.
Thus we can be oriented towards joy. Or on the contrary, we can become melancholy beings living in a technological society. There is only one thing to do: Focus on the present. We must orient our minds and intelligence towards personal well-being and intelligence. After all, a few extra IQ points are useless if we fail to create a more satisfying reality.
