Summary of this article
Study reports declining cognitive scores in Gen Z.
Screen-based learning linked to attention issues.
Experts stress importance of interpersonal learning.
Gen Z has become the first generation to ever record a lower intelligence level than their parents and millennials. Experts point to a noticeable drop in IQ scores as a worrying subject. Recent studies point out that Gen Z is the first and only generation to be much less intelligent than the one before it, making millennials the only generation to outperform the younger generations that came before them.
As per a neuroscientist, Gen Z has shown lower cognitive development due to a multitude of factors. The primary issue is the excessive use of educational technology. Research further reveals that Gen Z is the first group to score lower than the previous one. They showed weaker attention spans, problem-solving abilities, reading and math skills, contributing to a total decrease in IQ level.
As per a report by Money Control, Dr Jared Cooney Horvath, a teacher turned neuroscientist, told the US Senate Committee that even though Gen Z has a greater exposure to formal education as compared to the generations prior to them, their intelligence levels have declined significantly. He also added that education systems that are dependent on technology caused this generation to fall behind in things that can be taught by interpersonal learning. He also went on to share data that cited the cognitive abilities began to decline around 2010. "More than half of the time a teenager is awake, half of it is spent staring at a screen," Horvath had told The New York Post, as stated in the report.
Horvath, along with other experts, said human evolution has long developed through face-to-face interaction. They said screen-based learning has interfered with this basic developmental skill, which has hindered the cognitive growth in this generation.
He further added that upgrading the education technology would not help since technology in itself is the problem and does not align with the way the brain follows the problem-solving process. 'Humans are biologically programmed to learn from other humans and from deep study, not flipping through screens for bullet point summaries,' Horvath added.
This problem was not just observed in the United States but also in 80 other countries. As a way to solve this issue, Dr Horvath has continuously emphasised how interpersonal connections can help solve this problem for individuals.
