11 Reasons Gen Z Is Less Intelligent Than Any Previous Generation, According To Research
Gonzalo R.J | Shutterstock While Gen Z has so many interesting perspectives on the world, new ideas to bring to the table, and eccentric outlooks on life, neuroscientist Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath found that they’re the first generation to ever score lower on intelligence tests than the generation before them. While a great deal of research supports that a new hyper-reliance on technology sabotages young people’s intelligence scores from impressionable ages, the picture of their intelligence is far more nuanced than only cell phones or screen time.
There are many reasons Gen Z is less intelligent than any previous generation, according to research. As a collective, it’s hard to paint with broad strokes, but as the first generation to learn with technology in schools and embrace young adulthood with conveniences like ChatGPT, many studies can make strong assumptions about where their problem-solving skills, curiosity, and educational rigor are going.
Here are 11 reasons Gen Z is less intelligent than any previous generation, according to research
1. They learn from educational ‘snapshots’ of big ideas
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Horvath argues that part of the reason why Gen Z is experiencing cognitive decline in many aspects is that schools are shifting away from presenting students with large, comprehensive tools, readings, and ideas and toward “short clips” and snapshots.
Of course, as another study from Frontiers in Human Neuroscience explains, too much screen time, both in school and in their personal lives, is also negatively impacting Gen Zers’ attention spans. They can’t focus on longer readings, books, or research, because they’re wired to skim and seek convenience.
While it might not necessarily be their fault that they’re struggling with basic cognitive functioning and intelligence, continuing to lean into educational shortcuts and technology is only amplifying the problem.
2. They have unlimited access to convenience technology like ChatGPT
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While AI tools like ChatGPT can help to increase efficiency to boost human touch, when used to supplement research, reading, and true learning, it can often harm intelligence on deep levels. According to an MIT study, people who consistently use these AI tools tend to underperform on neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels.
From summarizing long, complex reading passages in school to using AI as a shortcut for problem-solving in the workplace, Gen Zers using tools like ChatGPT are sabotaging opportunities they have to practice better reading comprehension and intelligence over and over again.
3. They’re overusing screens
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From negatively influencing language to affecting learning and cognition, and even crafting more anxiety in social interactions, young kids face a number of consequences from overusing technology and screens. Especially for Gen Zers who used laptops, iPads, and technology in their classrooms from an impressionable age, this reliance on technology feels like the “norm.”
With the average Gen Z individual is spending an average of 7 hours of each day on their cell phones, according to a Harmony Healthcare IT study, it’s no surprise that they’re regularly sabotaging the cognitive processes and socio-emotional skills they need to boost intelligence.
4. They use their phones in bed
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According to a study from the Indian Journal of Medical Research, using your phone first thing in the morning or right before falling asleep can negatively affect both sleep quality and duration. You’re overloading your brain with sensory information during the periods of the day when your brain is not only the most impressionable, but the most reliant on natural sleep-wake cycles to form energy, rest, and well-being.
With sleep and intelligence being consistently interwined for people of all ages, it’s not surprising that this tendency to overuse screens from bed is just one of the reasons Gen Z is less intelligent than any previous generation, according to research.
5. They’re not reading
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A great percentage of Gen Z adults and children both dislike reading and refuse to make space for it in their daily routines. With the introduction of ChatGPT to skim long passages, less reading material in classrooms, and parents who are reading to their children at much lower percentages than past generations, it’s no surprise that it’s not a daily habit.
While it might seem obvious, a study from Child Development agrees that the daily habit and hobby of reading feeds into certain forms of intelligence. It not only boosts our cognitive skills and abilities, like memory and comprehension, but it also makes us more empathetic human beings — a skill that more people need today than ever before.
6. They seek instant gratification
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In our culture of constant convenience and instant gratification, it’s not surprising that seeking immediate answers and solutions are some of the reasons Gen Z is less intelligent than any previous generation. They don’t practice “waiting,” solving problems on their own, or leveraging research to boost cognitive focus and comprehension. They look it up or put their issue into ChatGPT and skip the mental gymnastics.
While digital technology and internet accessibility didn’t necessarily take away from intelligence, given that it often offers a space for young people to practice curiosity and seek out new information, too much screen time and convenience can make young people meaner, more selfish, and less fulfilled by delayed gratification while learning.
They’re not always using the internet to improve their character, but to seek convenience in ways that make them more impatient, greedy, and less interested in the virtue of waiting.
7. They’re multitasking all the time
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According to a study from Brown University, multitasking is often indulged in for efficiency, but it rarely offers anything more than distraction, inaccuracy, and impatience. The more we juggle, whether it’s at work or at home, the less productive and accurate we actually are, harming our long-term intelligence and our brain’s natural ability to focus and remain attentive.
For Gen Zers who are socially held to higher standards from a young age to juggle a million obligations, multitasking can feel like an inevitability. Even if it’s switching between “doomscrolling” on their phones and doing homework, working, or having a conversation, these are the kinds of daily habits that slowly chip away at their intelligence and brain health.
8. They’re always bombarded with technological distractions
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From a constant stream of notifications on their cell phones to temptations of distractions on their laptops at work or school, a study from the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that the mere presence of technology or a cell phone can divert attention from the brain. The more bombarded they are with technological distractions, the less their brains are able to focus and concentrate in the long run.
While it’s somewhat impossible to completely get rid of technology or a cell phone for Gen Z workers and individuals today, strong boundaries with screen time and notifications can protect their brain’s well-being. They not only have the chance to protect brain processes from deteriorating, but also to safeguard their mental health.
9. They’re pressured to compare themselves
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With a constant social pressure to compare themselves to others and take on a million obligations to “prove” their worth as a consistently judged generation, many Gen Zers are taking on too much pressure to be “perfect.” Whether it’s pressure to get the best career, have the most hobbies, or balance a million obligations, they’re always exhausting themselves by trying to do everything and be the “best.”
According to a study from Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, Gen Z also faces pressure to compare themselves to AI systems and intelligence in ways that also often harm self-esteem and intelligence. Every day, they’re pushed farther and farther away from accepting themselves in their most authentic identities, and that socio-emotional pressure makes intentional learning and intellectual growth nearly impossible.
10. They’re writing less by hand
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According to a study from Life, writing by hand on paper, regardless of the content and environment, engages areas of the brain associated with creativity and critical thinking. While prior generations had daily habits, classroom activities, and adult obligations to write all the time and engage these areas of their brain, Gen Z has technological alternatives.
They’re writing emails and texts on their phones and communicating almost entirely online, sabotaging the intelligence that comes from practicing these spaces in their minds.
11. They spend less time outdoors
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Especially from a young age, spending less unsupervised time outdoors and more time on technology, Gen Z kids are set up for failure. They aren’t learning to be independent, solve problems on their own, or think critically without technology or an overbearing parent around to step in.
As a study from Scientific Reports explains, moving your body and getting outside influences more cognitive abilities more than most people realize. By spending less time outside and more inside on their phones, Gen Z is sabotaging their ability to build intelligence and brain power.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
