Want your friends to know what you are up to? Use Instagram. Want to work from anywhere? Use Zoom. Want help with revising your essay? Use Grammarly. All these technologies allow for a convenient way to communicate, connect with people worldwide, and share ideas. With the development of these new technologies, there is, in fact, a decrease in cognitive intelligence(Conaway). This significantly hinders our ability to make discoveries and achieve progress in the long term. Many believe that the leading cause of this loss of cognitive abilities is due to the diminishing time spent on reading; however, it is because of the ease with which we gain information using technology that is causing the decline in reading. It is much easier and more convenient to copy and paste reading summaries online than it is to pick up a book and learn from it. It is the technologies aimed at enhancing convenience that are decreasing the intelligence of future generations. 

Before the technological advancement of social media, we socialized by going outside with friends. Now if you ask Gen Z how they keep in touch, they will say social media as it provides them a convenient way of sharing ideas and information with ease through texts, pictures, and videos. In fact according to Pew Research, “81% of teens use social media daily”. Our excessive use of social media is decreasing our attention span, hindering our overall ability to grow and acquire new skills. Apps like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok can display notifications every second. The sound will instantly distract us when we might be finishing our homework or reading as we are tempted to spend countless hours scrolling through the never-ending list of posts made by both friends and strangers - and this produces a short burst of dopamine. The notifications lead our “brains in[to] a constant state of multitasking” (Frenette). While multitasking, we might feel more productive, but in reality, our short attention spans result in inefficiency in accomplishing any tasks. Every notification pulls us from our tasks, and we have difficulties concentrating and digging deeper into the topics. This challenges our cognitive thinking and we often lose that challenge resulting in a decrease in intelligence. It is not difficult for any of us to fall into social media’s trap. We try to control ourselves by setting screen time or turning off notifications, but with our source of joy conveniently one meter away from us and humans’ tendency to enjoy entertaining activities, we find ourselves distracted over and over due to our short attention span, and this prevents knowledge from being retained long-term, which hinders our overall ability to grow, leading to a decline in cognitive intelligence over time. 

This excessive time spent on social media also leads to information overload which in turn causes a shorter attention span and hinders the brain’s overall development. With a simple click, one can access any information online. We consume vast amounts of information daily, from watching physics videos while eating to listening to classical music while studying, thanks to the convenience brought by technology. Even though the information we receive from social media may be educational at times, the constant influx of content without breaks overwhelms anyone’s ability to process new ideas effectively. While we experience short-term dopamine boosts, we often overlook the fact that this rapid dissemination of information due to technological advancement is overwhelming our cognitive thinking skills. Over time, we become mentally exhausted with the constant stimulation, unknowingly losing energy and focus, leading to a decline in attention span and cognitive intelligence.

To keep up with the fast-paced world and teenagers’ dependence on accessibility to technology, the education system is constantly adapting to fit the new generations of students. One of the most influential changes in the education system due to technological development has to be the widespread usage of Google Docs-related digital technology. It provides a convenient way to store and share information, but more importantly, its built-in auto-correcting system simplifies the writing process for us. Although convenience dramatically increases productivity, this technology has also contributed to a decline in self-growth among us, negatively impacting cognitive intelligence. The computer’s ability to automatically correct spelling and grammar “can save users time by quickly fixing common misspellings” (Hanna). However, this has fostered an over-dependence on computers among new generations, with some unable to write clearly without a computer. When we type, we subconsciously know that the computer will auto-correct any of our mistakes, so we pay less attention to each word. Conversely, writing by hand forces us to focus on the stroke and meaning of each word, offering potential tactile, kinesthetic, and cognitive benefits. The current generation’s dependence on these convenient technologies has shifted focus away from promoting cognitive intelligence and self-growth, as we opt for shortcuts to minimize effort and impede progress.

The introduction of “Ctrl C” and “Ctrl V” only exacerbates the issue. The intention is to add an easy shortcut that allows the copying of mass information; however, this convenience leads many to copy other’s work without reading or thinking about the relevance of the information. This lack of engagement results in shallow processing of the information and hampers self-growth. Despite the school’s efforts to combat plagiarism, warning that “all forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and may result in a “No Credit” for that assignment”, a significant number of students still resort to copying without proper citation (High School Student Handbook). Indeed, “36% of undergraduates [still] copy few sentences from Internet sources without footnoting it”(Plagiarism: Facts & Stats). To many students, the convenience created by technology outweighs the consequences, encouraging us to find a way around the system to do less work. However, while copying and pasting can be a shortcut to quickly completing a task, it is not a long-term solution to self-growth. The lack of engagement with the material and the absence of critical thinking gradually reduce cognitive thinking and intelligence. One straightforward solution is more hand-written work. With writing by hand, we must read and synthesize the information which allows us to further comprehend and process the meaning of the material. This results in increased cognitive development, analytical skills, and self-growth - something that a 2-second copy and paste will obviously not achieve.

Although technological advancements have hindered future generations’ development, many believe it is the diminishing time spent reading books plays a significant role in the decline in intelligence among teens. The decrease in daily reading plummeting “from 60 percent in the late 1970s to 12 percent today”, means many of us are missing out on the cognitive benefits of engaging with physical books to gain knowledge(Wolf). Reading is interactive; the reader has to invest time and energy to visualize scenes and translate text into complex ideas(Throness). This cognitive exercise stimulates our brains, fostering creativity and intelligence by encouraging us to formulate new ideas, internalize information, and apply it to our lives. Reading allows teens to accomplish this; however, the root cause of the decline in reading is attributed to the advancement of technology which offers more convenient methods of accessing knowledge and inadvertently contributes to shorter attention spans. One such advancement is the access to videos on the internet. While many of the videos might be educational, they are significantly less interactive than reading. Often we press play on a video and then shift our attention elsewhere, such as to social media, while the video continues to play in the background, even though we’re not actively engaged. This divided attention impairs our ability to comprehend and retain the information. Additionally, “When teenagers are constantly exposed to quick videos, their brains become conditioned to seek immediate gratification and novelty”(Bhushan). As a result, we struggle to concentrate on tasks that require long sustained focus, resulting in shorter attention spans and diminished cognitive development. While reading plays an important factor in the next generation’s ability to grow, the main cause of the decrease in reading, and more importantly, the decrease in intelligence is still caused by technological advancements.

While technology provides us with convenience and unlimited access to information, it raises concerns about cognitive intelligence, potentially impeding our ability to make discoveries and achieve progress. Future generations must strike a balance between utilizing technological convenience and nurturing cognitive thinking to ensure humanity’s continuous progression. In addition, it is crucial to acknowledge the significance of cultivating habits that foster engaged learning and deeper reflection. By promoting more active reading, handwritten writing, and increased time for critical thinking, society can actually equip teenagers with the skills necessary to navigate and enhance our complex world. Next time we open a device, we should ask ourselves if we really need it. 

Works Cited

Bhushan. “The Impact of Shorts and Reels on Attention Span: Strategies to Enhance Focus.” Medium, 13 July 2023, medium.com/@kbhushan19/the-impact-of-shorts-and-reels-on-attention-span-strategies-to-enhance-focus-81dcb9461a3. Accessed 8 May 2024.

Conaway, Will. “Technology Is On The Rise, While IQ Is On The Decline.” Wikipedia, 29 April 2020, forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/04/29/technology-is-on-the-rise-while-iq-is-on-the-decline/?sh=191ef6e5b103. Accessed 8 May 2024.

Frenette, Hana. “How Social Media Affects Your Brain.” NeuLine Health, neulinehealth.com/how-social-media-affects-your-brain/. Accessed 8 May 2024.

Hanna, Katie Terrell, and Ivy Wigmore. “What is autocorrect? – TechTarget Definition.” TechTarget, techtarget.com/whatis/definition/auto-correct. Accessed 8 May 2024.

“High School Student Handbook 2023–24.” Google Docs, docs.google.com/document/d/1QVPu0rL_tDkKqZTAnTZXgNxHjnpcvDinNCrc07YJ7t4/edit#heading=h.o08zlfp1iowc. Accessed 8 May 2024.

Lederman, Doug. “Students multitask (on things unrelated to course work) more in online settings, study finds.” Inside Higher Ed, 19 February 2019, insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2019/02/20/students-multitask-things-unrelated-course-work-more-online. Accessed 8 May 2024.

“Plagiarism: Facts & Stats.” Plagiarism.org, 7 June 2017, plagiarism.org/article/plagiarism-facts-and-stats. Accessed 8 May 2024.

Throness, Trevor. “Why Books Are Better Than Video.” Wikipedia, professionalleadershipinstitute.com/tips/why-books-are-better-than-video/. Accessed 8 May 2024.

Wolf, Maryanne. “There's a Crisis of Reading Among Generation Z.” Pacific Standard, 29 April 2019, psmag.com/ideas/theres-a-crisis-of-reading-among-generation-z. Accessed 8 May 2024.