I think we'll find that this "idiocy" is not a feature of the human condition, but a consequence of the disempowering, elite-owned, few-to-many, aimed-at-the-median, passive-yet-catchy, culturally homogenizing nature of TV. What we're seeing now worldwide is a gradual shaking out of the TV mindset, with the youngest generations the least poisoned.

In other words, don't despair of your cool future yet.