Comment by 9rx

> with one comment saying they noticed it starting in 2006.

Yup. This is exactly when high school graduation rates started to skyrocket – my cohort being from a few years earlier – and with virtually everyone (save those who are completely disabled) graduating by the time we were into the 2010s. That was a significant shift in the landscape, and it happened quickly to boot.

Shove a greater number of people with less ability into education and you are going to notice.