The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents | Fortune
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Neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath said older generations “screwed up” giving students access to so much technology: “I genuinely hope Gen Z quickly figures that out and gets mad.”

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.

    • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
      3·
      28 days ago

      As a relatively younger guy (26) I do suspect that a lot of that comes from whales and whatnot IE the richer subsect. At least amongst my friends we have all started to approach old man thinks 20 bucks is a lot of money levels of stingy.

        • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
          1·
          28 days ago

          Ignoring essentials like groceries then it’s mostly random shit and games. Going over me buying antique surplus and retrotech from various sources would be kinda pointless. Though I will say I’m the least profligate of my friends since as I get older the Scottish and Autistic frugality increases.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.worldEnglish
      26·
      28 days ago

      Do you often interact with young people?

      I mean, I have a toddler, just for starters. Also, a bunch of nieces and nephews and friends with kids of various ages. Then I do some of the professional onboarding for interns and college new hires at my company.

      So, Idk, for some definition of “young people”, yes.

      For there to be no disposable income these corporations are somehow making money hand over fist at every level of commerce.

      The big winners of the post-COVID economy have been B2B companies - enterprise level software firms, data center firms, government contractors, and corporate supply chain companies. Your grocery store chains and big box retailers have been comparatively flat. Car companies have underperformed. Even real estate has been anemic, at least by comparison.

      To call this a consumer economy, you really have to point to the consumer end of the equation and show some kind of growth. Inflation might be rising, but retail consumption certainly hasn’t.

      • TranscendentalEmpire@lemmy.today
        1·
        28 days ago

        call this a consumer economy, you really have to point to the consumer end of the equation and show some kind of growth. Inflation might be rising, but retail consumption certainly hasn’t.

        Yes it has. Where are you pulling this information from? The only times in the last 30 years where real retail consumption hasn’t raised is after 08 and during COVID.