Are Humans Afraid of Having Too Much Time on Their Hands - Afraid to Think?

We live in one of the most innovative societies on this planet and for sure the greatest nation ever created in the history of mankind, and yet perhaps we haven't too easy, because it appears to me that most of the folks in this great society have turned their minds off. That's right, and I have observed this throughout our nation, as I have traveled to every single city in the United States, over a seven year period. What I have found while sitting in coffee shops, and talking to regular folks, is that many people have just stopped thinking. Okay so, let's talk about this for second shall we?
You see, I have been to coffee shops adjacent universities, around Washington DC, in Silicon Valley, and many other spots where more intellectually endowed folks tend to hang their hat. Still, I'm amazed at how few people can carry on an intellectual conversation much more than an hour or two. Their minds get tired, and they need to go find something else to do. Sometimes they even say; "I'm worn out, my head hurts." But, I ask why is that - that shouldn't happen in our society, especially not here in the US.
It's as if everyone procrastinates spending time for deep thought and that they are afraid of what they might think. My advice to society; don't make an excuse to go do something else, to post something on Facebook, send someone a text message, check the weather, or go online to look at something. Okay so, I wish to ask a question; are humans afraid of having too much time on their hands, too much time to think?
Since we live in such a productive society with so much abundance, we do have a lot of cognitive surplus, but no one seems to want to use it, rather, they piss away their time, talk about stupid things, and I imagine their thoughts are just a shallow most of the time. But why is that? If we are the most innovative society, and we have this problem, and I fear it is growing worse, then that is a scary thought if we consider humanity across the globe. Where did all the smart people go? When did it become fashionable to be ignorant, stupid, and unable to reason?
Why did everyone turn-off their minds? What are they afraid of, and why am I the only person asking this question? Surely, you've noticed as well. If you'd like to do something about it, or have new ideas and concepts of your own, then please shoot me an e-mail