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Well, this is quite upsetting to read.
(lemmy.nz)
More (not so) fun facts:
54% of American adults read below a 6th grade level.
21% read below a 5th grade level, which is considered functionally illiterate.
High immigration numbers don't fully explain it either, as first gen immigrants only make up about 1/3 of those with low literacy.
I know there's the old addage about "if you're average, then 50% of people are dumber than you" - but Jesus Christ that's a horrific statistic!!
No wonder people are being so easily swayed by false extremist narratives in media these days - they literally can't access the truth because they can't read it.
my favorite spin on that is.
the dumbest person you know is smarter than half the world.
depending on how absolutely diabolically inept the person you know is, sets the lowest "high" bar for the world. I think that's probably about as close to the truth you can get.
education has little to do with it IMO. it's about social ineptitude and the abolishment of shame against the general public.
I had two powerful teachers growing up, Shame and Pain. Shame motivated me to not look stupid and Pain motivated me to not be stupid.