NO ONE HAS IT HARDER THAN THEIR FATHER DID:

[A]veraged around the world, the typical IQ is not fixed. IQ seems to be creeping upwards, at about three IQ points every decade. 

This story begins back in 1948 when R. D. Tuddenham, a psychologist, examined the IQ scores of American conscripts between the years 1917 and 1943. He showed that their IQ scores increased by about 4.4 points every decade. 

Today it's known as the Flynn effect, named after moral philosopher James R Flynn who rediscovered the effect in 1984 (and is now Emeritus Professor of Political Studies at the University of Otago in New Zealand). [...]

And here's the essence of the Flynn effect. If you give a child of today one of the WISC IQ tests of the past, on average, that child will score more than 100. [...]

So what's causing the Flynn effect? We don't know for sure, but many explanations are offered. 

Compared to a century ago, our brains have to work within an environment that is more abstract. Today's world is loaded with synthetic visual imagery - televisions, computers and video games. So results on an abstract category such as "similarities" could be improved more than "arithmetic".

Another set of changes over time involves the home and physical health. Children now get better nutrition during their formative years when the brain is growing. Smaller families mean that parents can theoretically spend more time with and money on the fewer kids. A higher standard of living can mean fewer infections, so children's potential growth is not hindered. A 2010 study showed a strong link between early childhood vaccinations and the average IQ of a nation. 

The Flynn effect also seems to kick in strongly when countries achieve a certain level of health, education and welfare. 

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