Is Gen Z less intelligent? Experts link cognitive decline to screen time

Experts warn that Generation Z may be the first in modern history to underperform its parents, with studies linking declining attention, memory and literacy skills to excessive screen time and digital overexposure, both in classrooms and daily life.

Hyderabad: There is a general perception that the younger generation is always smarter than the previous generation. However, this trend, known as Flynn Effect, was officially broken last month when a neuroscientist, Dr Jared Cooney Horvath, in a testimony before the US Senate, confirmed what many parents have long feared: Generation Z (born roughly between 1997 and 2012) is the first generation in modern history to underperform their parents.

Despite being the most ‘schooled’ generation, their cognitive ‘muscles’ like memory, focus, and literacy are decreasing, all thanks to the screens (computers, televisions, etc.), which were meant to teach them in the first place.

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Dr Jared Cooney’s testimony resonates quite strongly back home in India, where young children in schools have traded physical textbooks with tablets and blackboards with smart digital screens, all thanks to the EdTech revolution.

Public health specialists and science communicators from Hyderabad and elsewhere in the country have been highlighting the issue of the impact of excessive screen time on children.

Noted neurologist from Hyderabad Dr Sudhir Kumar (@hyderabaddoctor on X), has been quite vocal in the past year or so about why today’s children struggle with attention and focus.

In a detailed post on X, Dr Sudhir indicated that screen first lifestyle is creating a structural mismatch in the developing brain. Excessive screen time, sedentary lifestyle, irregular sleep, unhealthy diet, overloaded schedules, and stress are the major culprits behind declining attention, focus and concentration among children, he said.

“Excessive screen time, fast-moving images, social media and gaming train the brain for constant stimulation, making it harder to focus on slower, real-life tasks like reading and studying. Apart from this, children today sleep far less and lead a sedentary lifestyle,” he posted on X.

In his testimony, Dr Horvath warned that digital tools often ‘offload’ the brain’s work rather than training it. According to Dr Horvath, while technology is a tool for experts to save time, it acts as a barrier for novices trying to build foundational knowledge.

For the first time, the next generation showcases lower performance than previous generations

Gen Z (born roughly 1997-2012) shows lower performance

Gen Z shows a decline in attention, memory, literacy, numeracy, executive function, problem-solving and general ID

The decline is not because of reduced schooling, but widespread integration of digital screens and edtech in classrooms

Human brains evolved through deep focussed learning through face-to-face interaction and sustained attention

Teens now spend half their waking time on screens, causing off-task behaviour and shallower processing