Is society growing stupider? The clues are simple and repeated

Commenters debated whether culture is actually getting simpler and what that would mean. Some pointed to examples like a Netflix rom-com with heavy exposition and cited a reported Matt Damon remark that filmmakers now repeat plot points because viewers are on their phones, arguing that entertainment is being dumbed down. Others said mainstream TV lacks subtlety and that superficial content partly explains audience distraction. One commenter likened the concern to lyrics and melodies becoming simpler, and another invoked Queen’s "Radio Ga Ga" as especially relevant to the trend.

Where opinion divides is on cause and culpability. A few dismiss the complaint as neon-yellow journalism or thin self-promotion tied to a book, while another defended brevity as a strategic excerpt and noted linked studies on simplification. Some argued multi-device life - people watching on phones or with background shows - changes viewing habits and is a user choice rather than a creator failure, so creators shouldn’t rework stories to accommodate distracted consumption. Others held creators responsible for making more engaging, subtle work to recapture attention.