For the first time, a younger generation's intelligence is declining as compared to the previous one. Discover why Gen Z's cognitive skills are dropping and how screen learning in schools is the main cause.
For the first time in history, a younger group of people is showing lower skills than the generation before them when it comes to intelligence. Those born between 1997 and the early 2010s, called Generation Z, are performing worse in areas such as attention, memory, reading, math, problem-solving, and overall intelligence compared to their parents.
Dr Jared Cooney Horvath, a neuroscientist and former teacher, says that this decline is connected to the way children are taught now. He explains that even though Gen Z has spent more time in school than previous generations, their thinking abilities have not improved, they have actually gotten worse.
Screen Learning
Horvath points out that the human brain is not designed to learn through constant use of screens. Short videos, quick reading, and summary-based content do not promote deep thinking. Instead, people learn best through long periods of focused study and meaningful interaction with other people, like teachers and classmates.
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Research shows that screens disrupt the natural processes that help with memory, concentration, and understanding. Scientists say the problem isn’t bad teaching or poorly made apps. Instead, digital tools themselves conflict with how the brain grows and stores information, especially in children and teenagers.
Turning Point
Studies show that learning abilities started to stagnate and then dropped around 2010, the same time digital devices became more common in schools. Since human biology changes very slowly, this shift can’t be explained by natural development, which suggests that educational technology is likely the main reason.
Global Pattern
This trend is not just happening in one country. Research across 80 nations shows that when schools widely use digital tools, student performance often declines. Even students who use computers for several hours a day still score lower than those who use technology less.
Horvath also suggests that many young people think they are more intelligent than they actually are. Constant access to fast online content can create a false sense of confidence without real knowledge, making it harder for students to understand their own learning challenges.
Urgent Action
He warns that schools are beginning to adopt the fast-paced, shallow style of online platforms. Focusing education around technology rather than the needs of children could lower standards instead of raising them.
Education experts now say this is a major societal issue that requires urgent action. They recommend delaying the use of smartphones for children, limiting classroom technology, and learning from Scandinavian countries that have cut back or banned digital tools in schools.
Source: Daily Mail - Science & Tech
