WHO HAS CLEVER GRAND KIDS.

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Originally Posted by JDNSW

There is some evidence that average intelligence has been rising, probably due to improved childhood nutrition, but this is so slow as to be unlikely to be visible betweeen one or even two generations. And also begs the question as to what is 'intelligence', and how do you measure it.

Most examples quoted to show that the this is happening simply show that children today are developing skills that did not exist a generation ago. This has been happening forever, as new technology and practices appear. For example, consider the children who were the first in their family to learn to read and write. Does this make them more intelligent than their parents?

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Pity they didn't develop some driving skills as well . [bigrolf][bigrolf][bigrolf].

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Originally Posted by Fatso

Pity they didn't develop some driving skills as well . [bigrolf][bigrolf][bigrolf].

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I can easily put a lot of over 50s into that category...

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Originally Posted by vnx205

My 8 and 10 year old granddaughters are certainly a lot more clever than I was. They can both do the backstroke quite efficiently. Every time I tried it, I thought I was going to drown. :)

However, I don't buy the oft repeated claim that kids today are so much cleverer than their parents or grandparents were.

The reason we have been fooled into thinking that is the case is that because of the world they are growing up in, they have different skills, like being able to set the time on the microwave or set the VCR (remember them?) to record a TV program.

Kids get opportunities almost every day to demonstrate that they can do things we oldies haven't learned to do. However, because the world has changed, we oldies rarely get the chance to demonstrate the skills that we have that would be completely foreign to youngsters.

I will believe that modern kids are clever when I see one who can do the fantastic knitting, crochet and tatting that my mother did from the time she was at school until the time she was in her nineties. My mother may not have been able to read computer code, but I bet there are few kids who can follow a knitting pattern.

I will believe that modern kids are clever when I see one who can sharpen a scythe as well as my grandfather used to.

I will believe that modern kids are clever when I see that a lot of them can navigate the way sailors did in the time of Captain Cook or William Bligh.

Actually, I know they are often clever, but I don't agree that they are cleverer than earlier generations. It is just that they get opportunities to demonstrate their cleverness, but because the world has moved on, their parents and grandparents rarely get the chance to show off their cleverness.

I'm sure your grandchildren are clever, but so are you. You just don't have as many chances to show off your skills.

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Don’t forget. The tech the younger ones are using is often created by the older generations in the first place.

Intelligence comes in many forms. Being able to use a digital device means nothing if you can’t find water, food and shelter when stranded remote for example.

Those other examples quoted though aren’t intelligence, they are skills.

Reading a dictionary or street directory is a skill. The modern equivalent is looking up an address and googling a word. Same result different methodology. Many from other generations couldn’t do one or the other effectively.

Modelling with Clay is a skill, making a model in a cyber environment and printing using 3D printing is another version with the same outcome (think car designers and product developers). From this, more efficient use of time is another skill.

As is oft the case Mike, you're right. However, skills and intelligence usually go hand in hand. Of course there're always exceptions, people of limited intellect can develop remarkable skills and we all know the brainiack who struggles with any skills.
On a side note, years ago I was delivering building supplies, on a Saturday morning, to multiple addresses. The company for whom I was making the deliveries provided me with a high school student as an offsider.
As I finished securing the load, I asked the young fellow to look up the first address. He found it in no time and directed me there. After completing that delivery, I asked him to find the next address. He was turning the pages, scrutinizing each one. I asked him what was his problem, what page and coordinates was it. He looked at me as if I had two heads. I explained how to find the street in the index, then haw to find it on the page.
I also asked how he found the first address so quickly, "I opened the book and it was right in front of me." he said. [bigrolf]

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Originally Posted by ramblingboy42

every doting grandparent has clever grandchildren

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Thankfully, I don’t have any grandkids.

Hi

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Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Certainly some changes going on. Computers seem to be improving eye-hand co-ordination, for example. An iPad and an art program with some tools helped our oldest grand daughter with her art skills.

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An early Homo Sapien says to his mate:

These new ochre grinding tools seem to be improving eye-hand co-ordination, for example,
a handful of ochre and a stick with some tools helped our oldest grand daughter with her art skills.

Mike

and

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Originally Posted by JDNSW

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Most examples quoted to show that the this is happening simply show that children today are developing skills that did not exist a generation ago. This has been happening forever, as new technology and practices appear.
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Take flint knapping technology. This skill requires learning from example, instruction from adults, eye-hand coordination, judgement of where to hit the rock and at what angle and lots of practice. There are at least several different tools for required different purposes. It's just as complex as operating Windows 10.

Mike