“This Is Not Progress, It’s Surrender!” - Neuroscientist EXPOSES The Digital Dangers To Kids

Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, a cognitive neuroscientist and former teacher, presents a concerning trend regarding the cognitive development of Gen Z. He states that, unlike previous generations who consistently outperformed their parents on cognitive measures, Gen Z is the first modern generation to underperform on nearly every cognitive metric, including attention, memory, literacy, numeracy, executive functioning, and general IQ. This decline is observed despite Gen Z spending more time in school than previous generations. Dr. Horvath attributes this shift to the widespread adoption of digital technology in schools around 2010. He highlights data from 80 countries showing a significant drop in academic performance when digital technology is widely integrated into educational settings. Specifically, children who use computers for about five hours per day in school for learning purposes score over two-thirds of a standard deviation less than those who rarely or never use tech at school. This pattern is also evident in U.S. national assessment data (NAP), where scores plateau and then decline after states widely adopt one-to-one technology initiatives. While acknowledging that these observations are correlative, Dr. Horvath points to extensive academic research dating back to 1962 that consistently demonstrates a negative impact of technology on learning. He cites educational psychologist Dylan William, who suggests that edtech has been a "revolution coming for 60 years" but "ain't doing anything." The underlying reason for this, according to Dr. Horvath, is biological. He explains that human beings have evolved to learn from other human beings, not from screens, and that screens circumvent this natural learning process. He emphasizes that the issue isn't a lack of proper tech utilization or training, but rather a fundamental biological incompatibility. Dr. Horvath presents two options: either acknowledge the problem and return to proven analog learning methods, or redefine what it means to be an effective learner. He illustrates the latter with a stark example from the SATs. Historically, reading comprehension tests involved understanding complex passages and answering inferential questions. However, recent SATs have redefined reading comprehension to involve 54 short sentences, each followed by a single fact-based question. This, he argues, promotes skimming rather than deep reading, a behavior common when interacting with computers. He concludes that redefining education to suit the tool rather than determining what we want children to achieve is not progress. One speaker shares an anecdote about a fifth-grade class where students were falsely told they were high-achieving. This positive reinforcement from human teachers led to improved test scores, demonstrating the power of human connection and positive expectations in learning. The speaker suggests that while e-books can be useful for reading, digital interfaces often encourage skimming, leading to lower comprehension. He also notes that if the SAT were to revert to its previous, more challenging reading comprehension format, there would likely be a significant backlash from parents. Another speaker recounts an experience with a young family member who struggles with reading. After a firm commitment and accountability, the child finished an entire book, "The Inner Game of Tennis," and showed genuine excitement and deep understanding of its concepts. This experience highlights the value of focused, undistracted reading and the profound impact of engaging with a physical book. The speaker also mentions his personal choice to keep his 14-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter off social media, emphasizing the importance of preserving childhood development stages free from digital distractions. He describes the rich conversations he has with his children and nephews who do not have phones, contrasting it with observing children engrossed in screens at restaurants, devoid of interaction. The consensus is that while technology can be used for practical purposes like e-books, it needs to be carefully managed, especially for children. Parents are urged to take responsibility for limiting screen time and social media access, even if it means having difficult conversations with their children who see peers with phones. Recommendations include no social media, keeping phones in a central location like the kitchen for communication and safety, and providing dedicated e-readers like a Kindle for reading, free from notifications and blue light. The importance of discussing books with children, as seen in the example of a child making notes and discussing "All Quiet on the Western Front," is also stressed as a way to foster deeper engagement and comprehension. The discussion concludes with a strong warning about the potential "death of the human spirit" due to over-reliance on efficient digital tools and AI, which remove the need for human struggle and effort. While acknowledging that technology is here to stay, the speakers emphasize the urgent need to address its impact on human development and learning.