Is society becoming "stupider"?

Sometimes I have the audacity to flip on basic cable television thinking something decent will be on only to be further proven that peoples' interests have become deranged, depressing, and formulaic. The craze of reality television has proven it wasn't just a craze that brought in ratings for a few seasons, but it has proven that it is here to stay. At the time of Joe Millionaire, Survivor I, and Big Brother I these were actually fresh creative ideas at the dawn of reality tv, but that creative spirit has faded away into non stop rotations of indistinguishable, mindless nonsense spit off of an assembly line. Flipping through the stations i can safely predict to see: countless singing/dancing competitions, fake shows documenting E-list celebrities' every day lives, and non-stop mindless dating shows on multiple networks (some of these can be particularly disheartening- I love New York, Parental Control, etc). Reality tv has essentially become the amateur porn of television. Producers no longer have to spend money on expensive actors and sets or think up creative plots, dialogues, screenplays. They simply just use the same regurgitated formula and film it with a shitty camera. But, "why does this work" I cry? Why don't the consumers stand up and say I won't watch this garbage? Well... the problem lies in the fact that they find it utterly entertaining, and that is why I am so concerned that people may be becoming "stupider".