Neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath says a growing body of research shows that Generation Z is not matching the cognitive performance of earlier generations, a shift he attributes largely to over-reliance on digital
Generation Z — those born between 1997 and 2010 — is showing lower cognitive performance than previous generations, a decline researchers largely attribute to excessive dependence on digital technology.
“A sad fact our generation has to face is that our kids are less cognitively capable than we were at their age,” Horvath told the New York Post. “Every generation has outperformed their parents — until Gen Z.”
The study points to shrinking attention spans, weaker problem-solving skills, and declining reading and math abilities. Horvath also warned of widespread overconfidence among young people, noting, “Most of these young people are overconfident about how smart they are. The smarter people think they are, the dumber they actually are.”
Researchers found that teenagers now spend more than half of their waking hours on screens, often skimming short-form content rather than engaging in deep, focused learning. “Humans are biologically programmed to learn from other humans and from deep study, not flipping through screens for bullet-point summaries,” Horvath said.
Data collected across 80 countries further revealed that increased use of digital technology in classrooms is associated with poorer academic performance. According to Horvath, education systems have made a critical misstep. “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 is not progress; that is surrender.”
He urged governments to act urgently to protect future generations, warning that without intervention, Generation Alpha could face the same cognitive decline.