Schooling has indeed been dumbed down but that as happened in the more recent decades. TV/media manipulation has been at work slowly getting our intellectual capacity for decades, since WW2. I even will go as far as to say it was a direct result of WW2. Cant have kids growing up to be commies. Best have little Susie and Joey sit and watch wholesome american tv reinforcing traditional american values of imperialism, idealism, consumerism and obedience to authority.