Gen Z: First generation that’s officially dumber than the previous one

[Anonymous]

Based on my observations, I agree. Dunning-Kruger on steroids.

“They’re the first generation in modern history to score lower on standardized academic tests than the one before it,” Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, 43, told The Post. “And to make matters worse, most of these young people are overconfident about how smart they are. The smarter people think they are, the dumber they actually are… “They underperformed on basically every cognitive measure, from basic attention, memory, literacy, numeracy, executive function and general IQ.”

https://nypost.com/2026/02/07/us-news/gen-z-the-first-generation-officially-dubbed-dumber-than-the-last/

[Anonymous]

Speaking of dumb…NY Post?

Who gets their “news” from a tabloid?

[Anonymous]

This. ^^^^^

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Speaking of dumb…NY Post?

Who gets their “news” from a tabloid?

Actually interacting with the content would make you sound smarter.

[Anonymous]

The NY Post? They hate young people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Speaking of dumb…NY Post?

Who gets their “news” from a tabloid?

Here’s a post from Horvath.

https://open.substack.com/pub/thedigitaldelusion/p/i-told-the-senate-gen-z-is-less-cognately?r=7azjiq&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speaking of dumb…NY Post?

Who gets their “news” from a tabloid?

Here’s a post from Horvath.

https://open.substack.com/pub/thedigitaldelusion/p/i-told-the-senate-gen-z-is-less-cognately?r=7azjiq&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay

Can’t find a legit source? That should tell you something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speaking of dumb…NY Post?

Who gets their “news” from a tabloid?

Here’s a post from Horvath.

https://open.substack.com/pub/thedigitaldelusion/p/i-told-the-senate-gen-z-is-less-cognately?r=7azjiq&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay

Can’t find a legit source? That should tell you something.

The studies are cited in Congressional testimony here: https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/A19DF2E8-3C69-4193-A676-430CF0C83DC2

Responses on this thread = denial of the damage done to their children/students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speaking of dumb…NY Post?

Who gets their “news” from a tabloid?

Here’s a post from Horvath.

https://open.substack.com/pub/thedigitaldelusion/p/i-told-the-senate-gen-z-is-less-cognately?r=7azjiq&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay

Can’t find a legit source? That should tell you something.

Why do I get the impression that your definition of a legit source is one that aligns with your personal point of view.

Your deflecting speaks volumes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speaking of dumb…NY Post?

Who gets their “news” from a tabloid?

Here’s a post from Horvath.

https://open.substack.com/pub/thedigitaldelusion/p/i-told-the-senate-gen-z-is-less-cognately?r=7azjiq&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay

Can’t find a legit source? That should tell you something.

Why do I get the impression that your definition of a legit source is one that aligns with your personal point of view.

Your deflecting speaks volumes.

Peer reviewed medical journal?

Not a tabloid or blog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speaking of dumb…NY Post?

Who gets their “news” from a tabloid?

Here’s a post from Horvath.

https://open.substack.com/pub/thedigitaldelusion/p/i-told-the-senate-gen-z-is-less-cognately?r=7azjiq&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay

Can’t find a legit source? That should tell you something.

Why do I get the impression that your definition of a legit source is one that aligns with your personal point of view.

Your deflecting speaks volumes.

Peer reviewed medical journal?

Not a tabloid or blog.

Several scholarly and institutional reports highlight specific areas where Gen Z is lagging:

Information Literacy: A study published in College & Research Libraries (2021) found that Gen Z students often lack "information literacy skills," specifically the ability to evaluate the veracity of sources. While they are "digital natives," they often struggle to distinguish between fact and opinion compared to Millennials.

Standardized Performance: Reports from McKinsey & Company (2024) and data from the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) indicate that student achievement in math and reading has stagnated or declined globally over the last decade.

The "Digital Decline" Theory: Cognitive neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath and other researchers have argued that the heavy integration of screens in learning (starting around 2010) has led to a decline in "deep work" capabilities, memory, and attention spans, marking the first time in a century that a younger generation’s cognitive scores (in certain domains) haven't surpassed their parents'.

[Anonymous]

"The smarter people think they are, the dumber they actually are"

This statement is false. Anyone making this claim should not be trusted to be accurate about any other statements regarding intelligence in populations. If you read the original Dunning Kruger paper it says something completely different.

[Anonymous]

It's the phones.

[Anonymous]

The indoctrination is working and the push to equity is having the desired effect. When you push everyone into being equal the standard must fall.

Congratulations US K-12 education system, it took a couple of generations to achieve the goal but it worked. Now with Gen-Z teachers in the fold the standard can continue to drop.

[Anonymous]

The funniest part is that they're also tech illiterate. S-STEAM, or whatever the new acronym is, has been a collosal favor.