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Neuroscientist warns Gen Z first generation less cognitively capable than their parents (fortune.com)

submitted 1 week ago by FoxtrotDeltaTango@sh.itjust.works to c/science@lemmy.world

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/49390565

In 2002, Maine became the first state to implement a statewide laptop program to some grade levels. Then-governor Angus King saw the program as a way to put the internet at the fingertips of more children, who would be able to immerse themselves in information.

By that fall, the Maine Learning Technology Initiative had distributed 17,000 Apple laptops to seventh graders across 243 middle schools. By 2016, those numbers had multiplied to 66,000 laptops and tablets distributed to Maine students.

King’s initial efforts have been mirrored across the country. In 2024, the U.S. spent more than $30 billion putting laptops and tablets in schools. But more than a quarter-century and numerous evolving models of technology later, psychologists and learning experts see a different outcome than the one King intended. Rather than empowering the generation with access to more knowledge, the technology had the opposite effect.

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[-] wraekscadu@vargar.org 31 points 1 week ago

This article is so clearly not acting in good faith.

None of the cited data that tries to assert "less cognitive ability " has any sort of control group??? Huh???
Sure, some studies (with proper control groups n stuff) are cited. But they're specifically for other topics like mental healgh due to social media usage and so on. None that have anything to do with cognitive ability. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU TRY TO PAINT SCHOOL LAPTOPS AS A NEGATIVE.

Down vote me all you want, but the folks in the comments must be a little ashamed for spreading and supporting sensational bullshit cuz it supports their worldview. This behaviour is no different than boomers posting "articles" about how climate change is bullshit and how vaccines cause autism.

And not ONE person critically analyses this article??? Seriously??? Everyone's on the bandwagon of "yeah yeah, tech is destroying them keeyds and making them stupider". So uncool.

[-] DaedalousIlios@pawb.social 16 points 1 week ago

Yeah, sure, it's the tech and not a failing education system. It's the smart phones and not that dad's too busy arguing with libs on facebook to teach me how to change a spark plug. It's chatGPT and... Actually that might've played a part.

But you get the point; everyone is so fucking desperare to paint my generation like a generation of failures instead of a generation that's been failed and finding ways to thrive anyway.

[-] Jake_Farm@sopuli.xyz 5 points 1 week ago

They did that to millennials too

[-] zalgotext@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 week ago

They still do that to millennials. Boomers haven't stopped berating us for not having houses or giving them grandchildren.

[-] stringere@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 week ago

I'm on the Millenial-Gen X cusp so I've been getting the best of all that shit my whole life and I hate seeing it on repeat with Z and Alpha.

Stop blaming kids for you failimg them.

Also, I just recently realized that all thr movies I grew up with depicted 30 somethings like their lives were over while camp and highschool movies abounded.

The boomers were a generation that peaked in highschool and had their mediocrity catered to the rest of their lives.