Is mental deterioration an issue among Gen Z?
By Riley Duignan
The idea of newer generations becoming “denser” or less intelligent has been passed around, but is it scientifically backed?
Mental deterioration can count as a multitude of things, mental health, and illiteracy; and rumor has it that Gen Z is making records in all of these criteria, though not great ones.
According to a study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, it found that around 65% of Gen Z have experienced at least one mental health issue in the past two years (according to a 2023 study). Compared to earlier generations, Gen Z has struggled the most with mental health issues, with other generations showing lower consistency in mental health issues; Millennials (51%), Gen X (29%), and Boomers (14%).
Of course, this is led by multiple factors, but one of the largest ones is screen time. A series of ScienceDirect and World Health Organization studies have found that there is a positive correlation between high depression and anxiety, and increased screen time, while low screen time correlates more closely to lesser depression and anxiety in teenagers. Another study from the National Library of Medicine quotes, “Associations between the amount of screen time and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress are shown in Figure 1. Higher depressive symptoms were observed in adolescents who expended 4–6 hours/day (PR 1.35, 95%CI 1.13–1.61) and ≥6 hours/day (PR 1.88, 95%CI 1.62–2.19), compared with their pairs with <2 hours/day.”
In addition, Gen Z is also becoming increasingly functionally illiterate. Not only is Gen Z reading less. A Forbes article states that 43% of K-12 kids rarely or never read for fun, with a total of 35% of Gen Z stating that they don’t like reading at all. Not reading consistently causes the degradation of literacy skills, as reading is not a consistent ability, instead constantly learned. A 2024 National report card report shared that student scores have been decreasing to 20-year lows. In addition, they found that 45% of 12th graders scored “below basic” in reading. This is a big problem, with decreasing reading and math test scores among K-12, but especially among high school students. Decreasing illiteracy not only means fewer literacy skills, but also weak communication and comprehension skills, little critical thinking, and risk for worse financial literacy and choices. In fact, this increase in illiteracy is already impacting the workforce, with a lack of proper/professional communication, productivity, and efficiency.
With the rise of AI, around 47-51% of Gen Z use AI or generative AI on a weekly basis, and around 80% has used AI before with multiple uses, though not regularly. With an overreliance on AI among Gen Z, it has been seen to be a large part in Gen Z’s decreasing critical thinking and common sense skills, even lowering IQ, as AI is being used to essentially “think for the user”.
The matter of whether Gen Z’s literacy ability and overall mental health will degrade seems likely, but there are ways to fight this. And of course, Gen Z is not a monolith; there are people who are actively contradicting these studies. But with more support for mental health, restrictions on screen time, A.I., and other unsupportive and degrading tools, we can begin to reverse this decrease.
Carolina, Maria, et al. “Associations of Screen Time with Symptoms of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in Adolescents.” Revista Paulista de Pediatria, vol. 43, 10 Sept. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1590/1984-0462/2025/43/2023250.
Maras, Danijela, et al. “Screen Time Is Associated with Depression and Anxiety in Canadian Youth.” Preventive Medicine, vol. 73, no. 73, Apr. 2015, pp. 133–138, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.01.029.
World Health Organization. Mental Health: a Call for Action by World Health Ministers. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2001:1-21.
Schwartz, Sarah. “Reading Scores Fall to New Low on NAEP, Fueled by Declines for Struggling Students.” Education Week, 29 Jan. 2025, www.edweek.org/leadership/reading-scores-fall-to-new-low-on-naep-fueled-by-declines-for-struggling-students/2025/01.
Vibhas Ratanjee. “Gen Z Is Reading Less. What That Means in the Age of Ready Answers.” Forbes, 26 Aug. 2025, www.forbes.com/sites/vibhasratanjee/2025/08/26/gen-z-is-reading-less-what-that-means-in-the-age-of-ready-answers/.
Wilkins, Joe. “Gen Z Arriving at College Unable to Read.” Futurism, 13 Jan. 2026, futurism.com/future-society/gen-z-literacy-reading.
Walton Family Foundation. “Gen Z Is Using AI — but Reports Gaps in School and Workplace Support.” Walton Family Foundation, 8 Apr. 2025, www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org/about-us/newsroom/gen-z-is-using-ai-but-reports-gaps-in-school-and-workplace-support.
Noel, Jennifer. “New EY Survey Reveals Crucial AI Literacy Training Needs among Gen Z Workforce .” Ey.com, EY, 12 Dec. 2024, www.ey.com/en_gl/newsroom/2024/12/new-ey-survey-reveals-crucial-ai-literacy-training-needs-among-gen-z-workforce.