Generation Z has been identified by neuroscientists as the first generation in history to be less intelligent than their parents and researchers have now highlighted possible reasons for this decline.
Former teacher turned neuroscientist Dr Jared Cooney Horvath has claimed that people born between 1997 and 2010 (classified as Generation Z) are less intelligent due to their over-reliance on digital technology in school.
He added: “The human brain is not wired to learn from short online video clips and by reading short sentences summarizing larger books and complex ideas. »
The head of LME Global told the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on January 15, 2026 that Generation Z recorded the lowest levels of cognitive development since records began in the late 1800s.
For context, LMEGlobal is an organization that shares brain and behavior research with businesses and schools.
Dr. Horvath’s research found that Generation Z has poorer problem-solving skills, shorter attention spans, and declining math skills, thereby lowering their overall IQ. Data collected by the organization showed that cognitive abilities began to decline around 2010.
In an interview with the New York PostDr. Horvath said the human brain is biologically programmed to learn from its environment and in-depth studies instead of flicking through screens, adding: “A teenager spends half their day staring at the screen.”
Other panels of experts who have appeared before the U.S. Congress have agreed that screens disrupt natural biological processes that develop deep understanding, memory and concentration.
In what appears to be a critique of Gen Z’s perceived “overconfidence,” Dr. Horvath said: “The smarter people think they are, the dumber they actually are. »
Experts have urged the US Congress to consider measures such as banning educational technology in schools to avoid what they called a “societal emergency”.
