Generation Z now officially dumber than their parents due to Smart Screen adoption.

Scientists have identified a reversal of the 

long-standing Flynn effect—the roughly 200-year

 trend of rising average intelligence 

(measured via IQ and cognitive tests) 

across generations.

For the first time in modern recorded history, 

Generation Z (born roughly 1997–2012) shows 

lower performance than previous generations 

in key cognitive domains, including attention, 

memory, literacy, numeracy, executive function, 

problem-solving, and general IQ—despite 

spending more years in formal education than 

ever before.

Neuroscientist and educator 

Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, PhD, MEd, testified 

before the U.S. Senate Committee on 

Commerce, Science, and Transportation on January 15, 2026, highlighting this shift. In his written testimony, he stated that cognitive development in 

children across much of the developed 

world has stalled or reversed over the 

past two decades, with declines evident in 

international assessments (e.g., PISA, TIMSS) 

and other large-scale data starting 

around the mid-2000s and accelerating 

post-2010.

Horvath attributes the primary driver not to 

reduced schooling, but to the widespread 

integration of digital screens and educational 

technology (EdTech) in classrooms. He argues 

that human brains evolved for deep, focused 

learning through face-to-face interaction and 

sustained attention, not fragmented skimming 

or constant task-switching encouraged by 

devices.

Key points from his testimony include:

- Teens now spend over half their waking hours 

on screens, with significant portions in school 

involving computers or tablets—often leading 

to off-task behavior and shallower processing.

- Evidence from meta-analyses and 

national/international studies shows a 

consistent pattern: higher classroom screen 

exposure correlates with weaker outcomes in 

reading, math, science, and higher-order 

reasoning.

- Digital tools may aid narrow, repetitive skill 

practice in controlled settings, but in core 

academic contexts, they tend to reduce depth of 

understanding, retention, and critical thinking.

Horvath describes this as a "structural mismatch"

 between human cognition and how digital 

platforms are designed (to capture and fragment 

attention), warning that unchecked EdTech 

adoption risks long-term harm to 

workforce skills, innovation, and societal 

reasoning.

[Horvath, J. C. (2026). Written testimony 

before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, 

Science, and Transportation. U.S. Senate]