Horvath Says Gen Z Scores Lower After $30 Billion U.S. School Tech Push
Updated
Updated · Fortune · Jul 12
Horvath Says Gen Z Scores Lower After $30 Billion U.S. School Tech Push
3 articles · Updated · Fortune · Jul 12
Summary
Jared Cooney Horvath told U.S. senators Gen Z is the first modern generation to score below its predecessor on standardized tests, arguing that decline reflects weaker cognitive capability rather than greater digital fluency.
PISA and other test data, he said, show a stark correlation between more classroom computer time and worse scores, as constant task-switching and off-task use weaken attention, memory formation and error rates.
$30 billion was spent in 2024 putting laptops and tablets into U.S. schools, extending a shift that began with Maine’s 2002 statewide program and reached 66,000 devices there by 2016 without lifting test scores.
Teachers now spend heavily on edtech—55% used it one to four hours a day in a 2021 poll—while a 2014 study found university students were off-task on computers nearly two-thirds of the time.
Horvath urged Congress to set efficacy standards and tighter data limits for minors, as 17 states had banned phones during instruction by August 2025 and 35 had enacted classroom limits.
After a $30B investment in edtech, why are Gen Z's test scores the first to fall in modern history?
Is AI the next threat to Gen Z's careers, or the tool that will finally fix their education?
Reversing the Flynn Effect: How Digital Distraction and EdTech Investments Drove Gen Z’s Academic Downturn (2026)
Overview
This report highlights a troubling academic decline among Gen Z, marked by a reversal of the long-standing Flynn effect and a noticeable drop in standardized test scores. Since 2012, K-12 students, especially in the U.S. and countries like Finland, have shown lower performance compared to previous generations. The decline is linked to increased use of digital devices during school hours, with Finnish teens spending significant time on non-school activities. These trends suggest that pervasive screen time and changing learning environments are key factors behind the drop in cognitive abilities, prompting urgent calls for educational reform.