A neuroscientist has informed U.S. lawmakers that Generation Z may become the first modern generation to exhibit lower intelligence levels than their parents. The comments were made during a United States Senate committee hearing where experts discussed education, technology, and youth development in the digital age.
Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, who studies the brain and how people learn, said that although young people today spend more years in formal education than previous generations, their thinking skills appear to be getting weaker.
During the hearing, Horvath explained that more time in classrooms has not automatically produced stronger learning abilities. He said important skills such as reading, memory, attention, and problem-solving have shown signs of decline. “We are seeing a generation that has more access to information than ever before,” he told lawmakers, “but access to information is not the same as understanding it.”
A focus of the discussion was smartphone and screen exposure. Horvath pointed to heavy digital use as one of the main reasons behind declining cognitive skills. He told the committee that teenagers now spend more than half of their waking hours looking at screens, whether for school, entertainment, or social media.
He warned that the human brain is not designed to learn effectively through constant scrolling or short bursts of information. “When learning becomes fast, fragmented, and constantly interrupted, it weakens our ability to concentrate,” he said. He explained that biology wires humans to learn from other people. They also learn through deep, focused study. They do not learn effectively from quickly scrolling through screens or reading short bullet-point summaries.
According to Horvath, excessive screen time may be weakening reading comprehension and memory formation. He said that when students skim short summaries instead of reading full texts, the brain does not fully process the material. Over time, this can reduce attention span and long-term recall.
The discussion also touched on the rapid growth of educational technology in classrooms. Many schools have introduced tablets, laptops, and online learning platforms with the goal of improving outcomes. However, Horvath suggested that increased dependence on digital tools has gone hand in hand with falling academic performance.
“Real understanding comes from working through ideas slowly,” he explained. He added that deep study helps the brain build stronger connections, while quick digital consumption may prevent that process.
The topic has started a debate about whether modern education systems are adapting in the right way. Some experts agree that heavy smartphone use may be harming attention spans, while others argue that people cannot measure intelligence in the same way as in the past. They say digital skills, multitasking, and fast information processing are new forms of intelligence that traditional tests may not fully capture.
Still, concerns are growing among parents, teachers, and policymakers. Many educators report that students struggle more with long reading assignments and sustained concentration compared to earlier generations. Social media platforms, short-form video content, and constant notifications are believed to play a role in this shift.
Lawmakers at the hearing showed interest in reviewing smartphone policies in schools. They also wanted to study the long-term effects of screen exposure on young brains. Some senators suggested that they need further research before making major policy decisions. However, they agreed that the issue deserves serious attention.
