“They struggle to make inferences, process questions longer than a single sentence, and connect cause and effect. They can’t follow multistep ideas,” Ms. L said. “It’s scaring me a little.”
Educators say this is not an isolated classroom issue but part of a broader, nationwide trend affecting schools across the country.
Data from the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)—often referred to as the “Nation’s Report Card”—underscores those concerns. The report found that 70 percent of middle school students failed to reach proficiency in reading, with 40 percent scoring at a “below basic” level.
This teacher is far from alone. Educators across the country report encountering students who lack even the most basic classroom skills.
Let that sink in.
And the decline in cognitive skills isn’t limited to younger children. One commenter on Ms. L’s video wrote, “I’m a senior in high school, and everyone my age is at this level of cognitive decline too. I hate to say it, but it isn’t just the little kids—it’s multigenerational now.”
Thousands of others weighed in beneath the viral post, sharing similar observations and frustrations.
“I was writing Twilight-length fanfiction at 14. This blows my mind.”
“I hate to sound elderly, but we were writing book reports and turning in annotated bibliographies in elementary school when I was growing up.”
“iPad kids plus no consequences equals this.”
One commenter even pointed to Australia’s recent decision to restrict social media access for users under 16, writing, “I’m looking forward to the data from the Australian social media ban.”
Commenters shared the teacher’s alarm—and some argued there may be a clear explanation. Today’s teens are growing up in a technology-saturated world, and many believe constant screen exposure is actively hindering intellectual and cognitive development.
That concern is partly behind Australia’s recent move to restrict social media access for minors. The ban, implemented earlier this month, aims to curb social media’s “design features that encourage young people to spend more time on screens, while also serving up content that can harm their health and wellbeing.”
Under the policy, users under 16 are no longer permitted to access platforms such as TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and Threads. Existing accounts will be deactivated, and new ones cannot be created.
While many parents in the U.S. are hoping for similar federal action, some states are already moving ahead on their own. Virginia, for example, has introduced new limits on screen time.
Beginning January 1, 2026, users under 16 in Virginia will be restricted to just one hour per day on social media, according to 7News.
“We’re going to see kids on these apps less, and we’re going to see them more engaged with their academics and their friends—whatever they’re doing,” Virginia State Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg (D-Henrico) told the outlet.
