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Scientist Claims First Generation Ever May Be Less Intelligent Than Their Parents

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Researchers say a pattern of steady human development that lasted for more than 200 years may now be going in reverse.
For the first time in recorded human history, scientists say they have identified a generation that may be less intelligent than the one before it. This claim challenges a long-held belief that each generation steadily becomes more capable as education and access to knowledge improve.Neuroscientist Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, who previously worked as an educator, believes members of Gen Z have experienced slowed cognitive development. He argues this change is closely linked to heavy reliance on modern technology, particularly smartphones and constant digital stimulation.

With academic performance records stretching back roughly 200 years, researchers have been able to track changes across generations. Dr. Horvath told a Senate committee last month that the drop seen from Millennials to Gen Z happened even though young people now spend more time in school than ever before.

 

 

Gen Z is the first generation to grow up with constant and easy access to the internet, both at home and in classrooms. According to Dr. Horvath, this shift has led to measurable declines in skills tied to problem solving, reading comprehension, memory, math ability, and sustained attention during lessons.

The prevalence of smartphones at home and school was pointed to as a reason for the declineGetty Stock Image

 

 

The Mail reports that Horvath told the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee that this trend is directly connected to the rise of what is often called educational technology. In many schools, tablets and computers have become central tools in everyday teaching.The neuroscientist explained that humans did not evolve over millions of years to absorb knowledge through short video clips or quick sentences. He said this style of learning makes it harder to build deep understanding or long-term memory, especially when students no longer need to wrestle with a novel or work through a complex idea.

On January 15, Horvath told the committee: “More than half of the time a teenager is awake, half of it is spent staring at a screen.”

“Humans are biologically programmed to learn from other humans and from deep study, not flipping through screens for bullet point summaries.”Continuing his argument about human evolution, Horvath explained that people developed as social learners who gain knowledge through direct interaction. He said this happens best in face-to-face discussions, not through short YouTube clips or AI-generated summaries.

He also pointed out that simply looking at a screen can interrupt how the brain stores information and can weaken focus. Horvath stressed that the solution is not creating better apps, but returning to learning methods that align with how the human brain evolved.

The increasing use of technology in school ignores how humans have involvedGetty Stock Image

 

 

Horvath said: “The answer appears to be the tools we are using within schools to drive that learning.”“If you look at the data, once countries adopt digital technology widely in schools, performance goes down significantly.”

Calling for a major shift in how education policy is approached, Horvath challenged lawmakers by asking: “What do kids do on computers? They skim.”

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