Gen Z may be less intelligent than their parents, neuroscientist says
Generation Z may be the first modern generation to show a decline in academic and cognitive performance compared to the generation before it, according to neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath.
Born between 1997 and 2010, Gen Z has broken a long-standing pattern in which each generation steadily outperformed its predecessor in education and cognitive ability.
Horvath said standardised testing data indicates lower performance across a wide range of measures, including attention span, memory, literacy, numeracy, executive function and overall IQ.
Speaking about his findings, Horvath noted that Gen Z is the first generation in modern history to score lower than the one before it on standardised academic tests.
He also raised concerns about overconfidence among young people, suggesting that many may overestimate their cognitive abilities despite declining performance.
These trends, he said, point to deeper structural changes in how children and teenagers learn and process information today.
A key factor behind the decline, according to Horvath, is prolonged and constant exposure to digital screens. Presenting his research to US lawmakers, he explained that teenagers now spend more than half of their waking hours in front of phones, tablets or laptops.
While technology has become deeply embedded in both education and daily life, Horvath argued that it often replaces deep, focused learning and meaningful human interaction, both of which are critical to healthy brain development.
Instead of reading full texts or engaging in sustained study, many students now rely on short summaries and fragmented information while scrolling through social media platforms.
This shift, Horvath said, encourages surface-level engagement rather than deep understanding, turning students into “skimmers” rather than critical thinkers. Over time, this can weaken the brain’s ability to focus, reflect and retain information.
Importantly, Horvath stressed that the issue is not limited to the United States. Data from more than 80 countries suggests a similar pattern: once digital technology is widely adopted in classrooms, academic performance often declines.
The consistency of this trend across different education systems, he said, raises questions about how and when technology should be introduced in learning environments.
Despite his criticism, Horvath emphasised that he is not opposed to technology itself. “I’m not anti-tech. I’m pro-rigor,” he said, calling for a more balanced approach that prioritises sustained focus, structured learning and cognitive effort.
Looking ahead, he urged policymakers, educators and parents to carefully reconsider the role of screens in schools, particularly for the next cohort, Generation Alpha.
Reducing screen-based learning and reinforcing traditional study methods, he believes, could help protect cognitive development and reverse the downward trend seen in recent years.
