Definitely dumber. Have you ever tried to buy something in a store or restaurant when the registers are down? Or have someone count your change back to you?
I've heard of math classes where the kids use calculators. People could learn about anything and everything before the internet....you just found a library and/or an encyclopedia.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.