In 2002, Maine became the first state to implement a statewide laptop program for certain grade levels. Then-governor Angus King saw the program as a way to put information at the fingertips of more children so they could immerse themselves in information.
By that fall, the Maine Learning Technology Program had distributed 17,000 Apple laptops to seventh-grade students in 243 middle schools. By 2016, that number increased to 66,000 laptops and tablets distributed to Maine students.
King’s initial efforts have spread across the country. In 2024, the United States will spend more than $30 billion equipping schools with laptops and tablets. But over more than a quarter century, as technological models have evolved, psychologists and learning experts have seen different results than King expected. Instead of making this generation more knowledgeable, the technology has had the opposite effect.
Earlier this year, neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath said in written testimony before the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee that despite unprecedented access to technology, Gen Z’s cognitive abilities are lower than those of previous generations. Gen Z, he said, is the first generation in modern history to score lower on standardized tests than previous generations.
While the skills these tests measure, such as literacy and numeracy, don’t always represent intelligence, they reflect cognitive ability, which Horvath said has been declining over the past decade or so.
Citing data from the Program for International Student Assessment taken from 15-year-olds and other standardized tests around the world, Horvath noted that not only are test scores declining, but there is a clear correlation between scores and time spent using computers in school, such that more screen time is associated with worse scores. He accuses students of unfettered use of technology that undermines rather than enhances learning. The launch of the iPhone in 2007 didn’t help either.
“This is not a debate about rejecting technology,” Horvath wrote. “It’s a question of aligning educational tools with how human learning actually works. Evidence shows that indiscriminate digital expansion does not enhance learning environments but weakens them.”
The writing may be on the wall. wealth It was reported in 2017 that public school test scores had not improved in the 15 years since Maine implemented technology initiatives. Then-Governor Paul LePage called the plan a “colossal failure,” even though the state had invested heavily in the Apple contract.
Gen Z will now have to face the consequences of their reduced ability to learn. This generation has already been hit hard by the transformation of another technological revolution of the 21st century: generative artificial intelligence.
Early data from a first-of-its-kind study published last year by Stanford University found that advances in artificial intelligence are having a “significant and disproportionate impact on entry-level workers in the U.S. labor market.” But Horwath warns that a less capable population means more than just poorer employment prospects and fewer opportunities for advancement; It jeopardizes humanity’s ability to overcome existential challenges in the coming decades.
“We face challenges that are more complex and far-reaching than any in human history—from overpopulation, to evolving diseases, to moral drift,” he told us. wealth. “Now more than ever, we need a generation that can handle nuance, hold multiple truths in tension, and creatively solve the problems that have bedeviled the minds of today’s greatest adults.”
The impact of technology on learning
The use of technology in the classroom has exploded in recent years. A 2021 EdWeek Research Center poll of 846 teachers found that 55% said they spend one to four hours a day using education technology. Another quarter reported using digital tools for five hours a day.
While teachers may want these tools to be strictly educational, students often think differently. A 2014 study surveyed and observed 3,000 college students and found that students spent nearly two-thirds of their time on computers for extracurricular activities.
Horvath attributes this tendency to get off track as a key factor in technology hindering learning. When one’s concentration is interrupted, it takes time to regain focus. Task switching is also associated with weaker memory formation and higher error rates. Horvath said it’s difficult to tackle a single challenging subject. For the best learning, this is how it should be.
“Unfortunately, ease has never been a defining characteristic of learning,” he said. “Learning is laborious, difficult, and often uncomfortable. But it’s this friction that makes learning deep and transferable into the future.”
Professor of psychology at San Diego State University who studies generational differences and ” 10 rules for raising kids in a high-tech world. Spending more time on screens not only does not help promote learning, but it also affects learning effectiveness. This is counterproductive.
“Many apps, including social media and gaming apps, are designed to be addictive,” Twenge told us. wealth. “Their business model is based on users spending as much time as possible on the app and checking back as often as possible.”
A Baylor University-led study published in November 2025 reveals why: By balancing relevant videos with surprising and unexpected content, TikTok requires minimal effort to use, even less than Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.
Concerns about social media addiction have become so severe that 1,600 plaintiffs from 350 families and 250 school districts filed lawsuits alleging that Meta, Snap, TikTok and YouTube created addictive platforms that led to mental health challenges such as depression and self-harm in children.
Solve the technology crisis
Horvath proposes a series of solutions to Gen Z’s tech woes, at least when it comes to classroom use. He suggested that Congress could implement efficacy standards to fund research into which digital tools actually work in the classroom. Legislatures may also require strict limits on the use of technology to track, profile and collect data on minors.
Some schools have taken matters into their own hands. As of August 2025, 17 states have cracked down on cell phone use in schools, banning the use of the technology during instruction; 35 states have laws restricting cell phone use in the classroom. In fact, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, more than 75 percent of schools say they have policies prohibiting the use of cell phones for non-academic purposes, although these bans are enforced with varying degrees of success.
Ultimately, the loss of critical thinking and learning skills is less a failure of individuals than a failure of policy, Horvath said, calling the generation of Americans educated on electronic devices the victims of a failed teaching experiment.
“Whenever I work with teenagers, I tell them, ‘This is not your fault. None of you asked to sit in front of a computer throughout the K-12 learning process,'” Horvath said. “It means we… screwed up — and I sincerely hope Gen Z will figure that out soon and get angry.”
This story originally appeared on Fortune.com