07/02/2026
A WORRYING COGNITIVE DECLINE IN THE NEWER GENERATION OF HUMANS
Generation Z, born roughly between 1997 and 2012, has become the first generation in over a century to score lower than their predecessors—particularly Millennials—on standardized IQ tests and various cognitive measures. ..
This marks a striking reversal of the Flynn effect, the long-documented phenomenon where average IQ scores rose steadily by about three points per decade throughout the 20th century, driven by improvements in nutrition, education, healthcare, and environmental stimulation...
Recent studies, including large-scale analyses from the United States, Europe, and data presented to congressional committees, show declines in key areas such as attention span, working memory, reading comprehension, mathematical reasoning, problem-solving, and overall composite IQ...
Neuroscientists, including Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, attribute this shift to the profound influence of digital technology that emerged around 2010. Heavy screen exposure—often exceeding nine hours daily for teens—along with short-form content like videos and summaries, disrupts traditional brain processes essential for deep learning...
The human brain evolved to acquire knowledge through sustained focus, narrative immersion, face-to-face interaction, and deliberate practice, not fragmented digital inputs. Digital-first education, reliance on educational technology (EdTech), and constant multitasking fragment attention and weaken neural pathways for retention and critical thinking. ..
While spatial skills have sometimes held steady or improved, fluid intelligence—core to abstract reasoning—has notably declined in many cohorts. This "reverse Flynn effect" signals a potential cognitive cost of our hyper-digital environment, prompting calls for balanced approaches that prioritize analog learning methods to rebuild foundational mental capacities...
Culled from SCIENCE ACUMEN
