Gen Z is the first generation to score lower than their parents, says top neuroscientist

Gen Z have shown a decline in areas like basic attention, memory, literacy, math skills, problem-solving abilities, and general IQ. (Picture: Pexels)

• Neuroscientist: Gen Z scores lower on academic tests than parents
• Excessive tech use blamed for Gen Z's cognitive decline
• Expert advocates less screen time, return to traditional learning

Did our AI summary help?

The spotlight somehow continues to be on Gen Z, who are often in the news for their different ways of living and thinking compared to previous generations. Now, top neuroscientist Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath says that the generation born between 1997 and 2010 is the first to have performed worse than their parents when it comes to academics. What’s more surprising? They’re pretty much proud of it.

During the US Senate hearing last month, Horvath revealed that excessive reliance on technology is responsible for this cognitive impairment in Gen Z. “They’re the first generation in modern history to score lower on standardised academic tests than the one before it. And to make matters worse, most of these young people are overconfident about how smart they are. The smarter people think they are, the dumber they actually are,” he told The Post.

Also read: 38-year-old physician reverses fatty liver, high bp, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, drops 56 kilos in 18 months

Tracking cognitive development since the late 1800s, Gen Z have shown a decline in areas like basic attention, memory, literacy, math skills, problem-solving abilities, and general IQ. And this comes at a time when teenagers and young adults are spending more time in school than children did in the 20th century.

According to Horvath, this drop in intelligence is due to ‘educational technology’ (EdTech), where computers and tablets have become the norm, and there is no room left for real learning. Students spend hours scrolling on TikTok, watching short videos or brief summaries than actually reading a book or turning to a human for a real conversation.

Screens affect natural biological processes that develop deep understanding, memory, and focus. “What do kids do on computers? They skim. So rather than determining what we want our children to do and gearing education towards that, we are redefining education to better suit the tool. That's not progress, that is surrender,' Horvath cautioned.

Also read: Woman slips into same dress after losing 45 kilos, the difference is shocking

Hovarth suggested reducing screen time so that students can go back to the old-fashioned ways of learning, where they need to open a book and understand complex ideas. He also cited examples of countries who adopted digital technology in schools, which resulted in poor student performance. He hoped that new policies forced limits on tech in schoolrooms for improvement.