For the first time in more than a century, an entire generation is reversing the historical trend of cognitive improvement. Generation Z (born approximately 1997-2012) obtains lower scores than its parents (the Millennials) on numerous standardized tests. This unprecedented regression particularly affects Europe and the United States, where the massive introduction of screens in classrooms coincides with a drop in academic performance.
This phenomenon brutally reverses what specialists call the “Flynn effect,” namely that regular gain of three IQ points per decade observed without interruption since 1900. While Asia maintains its progress through strict control of technologies, Nordic countries are testing the antidote: the outright ban of smartphones in schools.
The Essentials
- Generation Z (born after 1997) scores 2 to 4 IQ points lower than Millennials according to analysis of 80 countries
- PISA 2022 scores confirm this decline in mathematics, reading and sciences in the majority of Western countries
- Sweden, Finland and Norway have banned smartphones in their primary and secondary schools
- The introduction of laptops and tablets in classrooms correlates negatively with academic performance
A Cognitive Rupture Documented by International Tests
The observation was made by neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath during his testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on January 15, 2026. OECD PISA 2022 data confirms the identified trend. In Europe, average mathematics scores fell by 15 points between 2018 and 2022, equivalent to half a school year lost. France lost 21 points in mathematics, Germany 25 points, Italy 11 points.
This regression affects all three domains measured by PISA. In reading comprehension, 23 of 37 OECD countries register a significant decline. Sciences follow the same trajectory, with particularly marked setbacks in Scandinavia, a region renowned for the excellence of its education system.
The contrast with Asia is striking. Singapore maintains its scores at the highest world level, Japan progresses in mathematics, South Korea stabilizes its performance despite intensive use of technologies. This divergence intrigues researchers: why do screens harm learning in the West but not in Asia?
Screens in the Classroom Accelerate Cognitive Decline
The omnipresence of screens and educational technology (EdTech), which would have “stagnated” student cognitive development instead of boosting it. Students equipped with individual digital devices lose an average of 14% of effective attention time compared to those who use paper and pencil.
This loss of attention is measurable concretely. A study conducted in 200 American high schools shows that students check their screens every 6 minutes during class, even when use is officially prohibited. Digital multitasking reduces the capacity for long-term memorization by 40% according to MIT research.
Europe has massively invested in digital equipment for schools since 2015. France spent 2 billion euros on its education digital plan, Germany 6.5 billion on the DigitalPakt Schule. These investments produced no measurable improvement in learning. On the contrary, the faster a country equips its schools, the more its PISA scores deteriorate.
The Nordic Response: Banning to Learn Better
Faced with these findings, Sweden made a radical decision in September 2023: complete ban on smartphones, tablets and laptops in all primary and secondary schools. Finland and Norway followed with similar measures.
The first Swedish results are encouraging. Spring 2024 national tests show an 8% improvement in reading comprehension among 9-12 year-old students. Classroom attention is refocusing: teachers report 35% fewer disruptions during classes.
This Scandinavian approach contrasts with the French strategy. The school is divided between digital emancipation and exam factories, exacerbating gaps between schools. Private Paris schools discreetly reduce screen use while suburban secondary schools multiply digital equipment.
Asia Resists Through Strict Oversight
The Asian exception is explained by much stricter oversight of screen use. In South Korea, smartphones are banned during the entire school day and confiscated at school entrances. Japan limits computer use to specific time slots. China has banned internet cafes and gaming labs within a 200-meter radius of schools and imposes strict restrictions on minors’ access times to technologies.
Singapore goes further with its age-differentiated approach. Screens only appear from age 14 onwards and only for supervised educational activities. One-third of the formal curriculum has been removed to prioritize fundamental skills. This gradual progression preserves cognitive development of the youngest while preparing adolescents for digital autonomy.
China has been experimenting since 2021 with “screen-free classes” in 500 pilot schools. In Japan, 30% of the formal curriculum has been reduced, and in Hong Kong, it has been reduced to four key learning domains. These experiments favor project-based learning and problem-solving rather than accumulation of digital content.
When Artificial Intelligence Amplifies the Problem
The arrival of generative AI further complicates the picture. When one candidate in four will be fake by 2028, companies are reinventing skills validation, revealing the erosion of basic skills among young graduates.
ChatGPT and its competitors make it possible to solve mathematics exercises instantly, write essays or translate texts. This facilitation discourages the cognitive effort necessary for intellectual development. Neuroscience shows that learning requires “desirable difficulty”: without mental effort, neural connections do not strengthen.
This digital crutch creates concerning dependency. A survey conducted in 15 European universities reveals that 73% of students use AI for their homework, but only 34% truly understand the solutions produced. Cognitive outsourcing is progressing faster than cognitive mastery.
Companies Discover Generation Z’s Gaps
European recruiters observe these cognitive deficits in the field. A ManpowerGroup study of 2000 employers reveals that 67% judge the mental calculation skills of young graduates “insufficient for technical positions.”
These gaps manifest concretely. Candidates aged 22-25 struggle to solve mathematical problems without a calculator, to structure written reasoning without AI assistance, or to maintain their attention for more than 15 minutes on a complex task. Recruitment tests are adapting accordingly, favoring short and fragmented tests.
The technology industry itself is concerned. Google, Microsoft and Meta are financing “digital detox” programs for their young employees, recognizing that hyperconnection harms creativity and complex problem-solving.
Nordic countries are already experimenting with promising alternatives: return to paper textbooks, memorization exercises, development of handwriting skills. These adjustments could restore lost cognitive capacities, provided action is taken before habits crystallize permanently. Europe has the opportunity to correct course, but the window for action is narrowing as Generation Z ages and its deficits become entrenched.
Sources
- Fortune - Gen Z Is Less Cognitively Capable Than Parents for First Time
- PISA 2022 Results, OECD
- Swedish National Report on Smartphone Ban, Swedish Ministry of Education, 2024
- ManpowerGroup Study on Generation Z Skills, 2024