• wscholermann
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    9
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    6 months ago

    So a work colleague of mine (about 30 years old) said today he didn’t know who Pol Pot was.

    Honestly the general knowledge of the public is abysmal. And by no means do I consider myself a genius either.

    • NathA
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      6 months ago

      Eh. I had a room full of people all in their 20’s and none of them knew who John Lennon was. They did at least know of the Beatles.

      On the other hand, I had no clue who almost any of the Hottest 100 artists were this year.

    • SituationCake
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      6 months ago

      History fades fast. But also I wonder what is being taught in school history. I know the world’s a big place and they can’t teach everything, but… not joking someone mid-30s recently asked me which countries were fighting in the Middle East. They meant the Gaza conflict. I explained it’s technically the same country, and that coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians has never really been settled since Israel was founded. She said something like ‘so forever then’, and I had to explain Israel had only existed since world war 2.

      • wscholermann
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        6 months ago

        And also the news is saturated 24/7 with Israel/Palestine conflict and yet this individual didn’t think to Google at all to answer her burning questions? Sweet, Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Muhammad and Abraham.

      • wscholermann
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        6 months ago

        In the case of Pol Pot I wasn’t taught that in school. But somewhere along the lines through simply paying attention I still know who is he in very broad terms.

        I really do think some people just live in their own tiny little bubble.