instant gratification

The quality of a democracy depends on the knowledge of its people. "True knowledge requires a combination of data and information processing capacity of information technologies, and the creative and innovative capacity of human beings."
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/01/12/dumbing_down_a_college_education/

Computers and the internet have ushered in the "information age." However, as we humans increasingly seek instant gratification in most areas of our lives, we will gradually loose our right to consider ourselves knowledgeable (not unlike one who lives in an all-you-can-eat buffet eventually forgets how to cook).

Much like the "if a tree falls in the forest" thing, if we are all too dumb to know the difference, does it really matter? The problem I see with the dumbing down of society is that we become ripe for corruption and other abuses of power. Depending on the time/society intersection, various groups having abused this power including the Roman Empire (and its last vestige, the RC Church right up to the Duplessis gov't in Qc), the American/Middle Eastern oil industry, etc. If we all give in and settle on such a lazy path, we invariably weaken the fundamental pillar of democracy.