Gen Z Labeled World’s “Dumbest Generation” After Cognitive Study
A neuroscientist’s appearance before the United States Senate, alongside emerging academic research, has reignited a global debate over whether Generation Z (Gen Z) may be experiencing a measurable decline in certain cognitive abilities compared to earlier generations. The discussion centres on claims that young people born roughly between 1997 and 2012 could be the first cohort in modern history to underperform their predecessors on key intelligence indicators, signalling a possible reversal of the long-observed Flynn effect, which documented steady intergenerational IQ gains since the late 1800s.
PulseNets learnt that the renewed attention followed testimony by Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, a cognitive neuroscientist, educator and author, who addressed the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on January 15, 2026. The hearing, titled “Plugged Out: Examining the Impact of Technology on America’s Youth”, examined how digital technologies are reshaping learning and development among young Americans.
In both his written submission and oral remarks to lawmakers, Dr. Horvath argued that Gen Z has recorded weaker outcomes than previous generations across several cognitive domains, including attention span, memory retention, literacy and reading comprehension, numeracy and mathematics, problem-solving capacity, executive function, as well as overall IQ and standardized academic test performance.
He characterised the trend as a “reversal” of more than a century of cognitive improvement, stressing that it has occurred despite Gen Z spending more years in formal education than any generation before it. According to Dr. Horvath, the rapid integration of educational technology—particularly tablets, laptops and screen-based learning environments introduced widely from around 2010—has played a significant role. He told PulseNets that excessive screen exposure can fragment attention, limit deep cognitive processing and weaken long-term retention, with comparable patterns now documented across dozens of countries.
The Senate testimony was swiftly amplified across international media. PulseNets reported that publications including the New York Post, Daily Mail, Times of India, India Today, Moneycontrol and WION highlighted claims that Gen Z may be the “first generation to be less intelligent than the one before it.” Some outlets went further, describing Gen Z as the “dumbest generation” or pointing to what they called the first recorded intergenerational IQ decline.
These arguments align with a growing body of literature on the so-called Reverse Flynn Effect, a phenomenon in which IQ scores have plateaued or fallen in several developed nations since the mid-2000s or early 2010s. Research from the United States, Norway, Denmark, the United Kingdom and France has identified modest declines—often in the range of two to four points per generation—though the pattern varies by cognitive domain. In some cases, verbal and numerical reasoning have dipped, while spatial reasoning has shown stability or even improvement.
However, multiple experts urge caution against drawing sweeping conclusions. Analysts interviewed by PulseNets emphasised that the observed declines are generally small and uneven, differing across populations, testing methods and social contexts. They also note that intelligence is not a single, fixed construct. Many members of Gen Z display strong competencies in digital literacy, adaptability, visual-spatial processing, online creativity and rapid information navigation—skills that traditional IQ tests may not fully capture.
Beyond technology use, researchers point to a range of contributing factors, including changes in nutrition, sleep habits, mental health pressures, socioeconomic conditions, and the evolving relevance or motivational appeal of standardized testing itself.
Dr. Horvath, for his part, has stressed that the challenge is systemic rather than personal. He has called for policy reforms that prioritise evidence-based learning practices over the unchecked deployment of digital tools in classrooms. According to him, educational systems should implement safeguards that protect cognitive development instead of maximising screen exposure.
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The issue has since gone viral on social media, where reactions remain sharply divided. While some users voice concern about youth development and long-term education policy, others argue that Gen Z’s strengths in a technology-driven world are being misunderstood, and that conventional intelligence metrics are outdated.
No single academic paper has formally declared Gen Z the “dumbest” generation. Nevertheless, PulseNets obtained that Dr. Horvath’s Senate testimony, combined with supporting international data, has intensified calls for a deeper reassessment of how technology shapes learning in the digital age. As the debate continues, it underscores a pressing question for policymakers and educators alike: how to balance innovation with cognitive health for generations to come.
