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

submitted 4 days 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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[-] Allero@lemmy.today 28 points 4 days ago

Late millennial/early Gen Z postgraduate student here.

While generational theory is BS, I can see this particular part somewhat in my own life and career.

I can accumulate knowledge quite readily, I can store a lot of information, but I have issues actually deriving knowledge from it, tying different things together and seeing what's behind the data.

This comes to a large dismay of my older superiors, who grasp it way more readily even with the things they didn't face before.

It also followed me through school and other parts of life. Sure, I know geometry, but how do I know to look for that angle for solutions? Sure, I know how to use Linux terminal, but oooh wait I could do that with this? Sure, I know bread's crumb must get to about 100°C in the center when baked, but oooh you can actually just pierce it with a thermometer?

The problem is not lacking knowledge, it's connecting the dots. As more and more everyday thinking gets offloaded, so does a simple wisdom and solution-making.

[-] TheReanuKeeves@lemmy.world 14 points 4 days ago

It's the difference between understanding the concept vs understanding the material. Someone shows you how to use a hammer to whack nails into a piece of wood, it's up to you to decide it can also crack walnuts, smash car windows to steal visible bags and items of high value, makeshift mortal and pestle, etc.

[-] NegentropicBoy@lemmy.world 6 points 4 days ago

Thanks for that insight.

So I, being a bit older, may find more uses for a stick. But you are more likely to be able to use your phone (take a photo, message a friend, ask an LLM, use an app) to solve many problems.

[-] Allero@lemmy.today 2 points 4 days ago

Fair enough!

Honestly, I feel like older generation is in a bit of a vicious circle around tech:

Afraid to make mistakes and do something bad and irreversible
Thereby not gaining the experience needed for the confident use of tech and building intuitive understanding of it
Go to point 1.

Younger folks met tech revolution as children, they have much easier time with "click and see what happens" mentality. Less responsibility, more curiosity. So when they mature, they already know what can or cannot be done safely.

The only piece of advice I can give is that you really cannot accidentally cause irreversible damage to your devices (unless you drop them, lol), and information can be backed up so you don't have to worry about that. Then, just play around and find what happens! Yes, really.

[-] mwknight@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

Could this possibly be a function of how much experience you have? I'm 50 and I remember being in my twenties and knowing a lot of rote knowledge but then not being really great at some more abstract thought. It took a while to start intuiting my way through problems And connecting different ideas.

I really hate the "you'll know better when you're older" arguments people make to dismiss a younger person's opinion or whatever, but I will say I have grown to appreciate how experienced people, regardless of age, can better adapt to certain situations because they've had to deal with them more often than I have.

All that to say my gut reaction is that this is a "kids these days" article dressed up with some flowery scientific buzzwords that all of us new old people can smugly latch on to and tut-tut about.