Smith Simpson says, he was surprised that elementary students in geography could “hardly point out the principal rivers.” He believed that they were receiving less useful education, and not being taught what could be considered, basic knowledge. The less knowledge that one is receiving, the less one will know as they get older and move on into the real world. Simpson also says, “Americans abroad are asked a great many questions about their country—a good half of our candidates could answer such questions with only the thinnest recital facts; many could not discuss them at all.” This shows that the younger you are, the dumber your generation may be considered, as you are not receiving as much “useful” information as those of the older generations