Is Gen-Z less intelligent than millennials?

Is Gen-Z less intelligent than millennials?

The debate got a fresh boost after a report from Dr Jared Cooney Horvath, a neuroscientist and educator.

Horvath, a PhD and MEd, reignited the discussion after submitting written testimony on his findings before the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

The neuroscientist said that Gen-Z is the first generation ever to score lower than the previous generation.

According to Horvath, the cause is directly linked to the growing use of what he calls ‘educational technology’ (edtech), including computers and tablets.

Let’s take a closer look at Horvath’s claims.

‘Turned into skimmers’

Using extensive datasets and worldwide trends, Horvath claimed that Generation Z, those born between 1997 and the early 2010s, shows noticeable cognitive decline compared to the previous generation. This is particularly true when it comes to attention span, memory, reading skills, numeracy, problem-solving and overall IQ.

Horvath has argued that their reliance on digital technology in school hinders their cognitive development. Gen-Z intelligence has dropped despite spending more time in school than children did in the 20th century, the neuroscientist added.

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Horvath said Gen-Z is lagging behind because they are learning from short videos and reading brief sentences that summarise much larger, more comprehensive ideas. The educator also notes that the human brain was never wired to learn from short clips.

“More than half of the time a teenager is awake, half of it is spent staring at a screen,” said Horvath, who has taught at universities around the world, including Harvard and the University of Melbourne in Australia.

He testified before Congress on January 15, reported The New York Post.

“Humans are biologically programmed to learn from other humans and from deep study, not flipping through screens for bullet point summaries,” he added.

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“Learning from screens has turned them into skimmers. Without heavy lifting, even beautiful minds can turn to mush.”

Horvath clarified that he is not “anti-tech. I’m pro-rigour.” He advised limiting students’ screen time. He wants students and schools to return to the old days when kids had to crack open a book to pass a test.

Horvath told the Senate, “A sad fact our generation has to face is this: Our kids are less cognitively capable than we were at their age. Every generation has outperformed its parents, until Gen-Z.”

Horvath, who is also a founder of LME Global, an Arizona-based group that bridges research and classroom practices to improve academic outcomes, said that this development is not limited only to the US.

“Across 80 countries, if you look at the data, once countries adopt digital technology widely in schools, performance goes down significantly. Any time tech enters education, learning goes down,” Horvath was quoted as saying.

Is deep reading declining?

A survey from the National Literacy Trust (2024) shows that just one in three children aged 8–18 enjoys reading in their spare time, and merely about one in five reads every day, The Times of India reported.

Research from the University of Florida and University College London (2025) showed that in the US, daily reading among older students and adults has nosedived by more than 40 per cent over the past two decades.

The effects of this decline became especially evident during the Covid-19 school closures. Research from Stanford University showed that second and third-grade students’ oral reading fluency lagged nearly 30 per cent behind expected benchmarks, the news outlet reported.

Meanwhile, studies from Harvard University outlined further concerns. They revealed that gaps in phonological processing, the ability needed to decode written language, appear as early as 18 months, long before children start school.

Researchers say reading habits have declined, and deep focus has become rare.

“Decline does not always mean decay”

Some students have spoken up about the rising debate over screen time, Artificial Intelligence (AI), short-form content and declining reading habits.

Gauri Tiwari, 19, a BCom student at Graphic Era University in Dehradun, told India Today, “I feel we are more straightforward and express ourselves better than earlier generations, but we lack patience and rely too much on technology for everything. Our decision-making ability is heavily influenced, and our inability to listen often lands us in trouble. We are risk-takers.”

Mayank Rathi, 24, a UPSC aspirant, added, “Increasing dependence on AI may lead to a disconnect from ground realities. However, decline does not always mean decay. Sometimes it signals transition.”

“Digital technology did not dumb us down; it enabled us to have all the knowledge in the world at our fingertips, igniting curiosity that our parents could hardly dream of,” Manya Chauhan, 21, who works in Gurugram, said.

Amid the ongoing debate, it remains to be seen if this will be a long-term trend and the impact it could have.

With inputs from agencies