A profound generational decline in reading comprehension is sweeping through education, as smartphones, constant digital distractions, and generative AI erode students’ ability to focus and think deeply.
In the United States, 12th-grade reading scores have fallen to their lowest levels since tracking began in 1992. Nearly one-third of high school seniors now fail to reach basic reading proficiency.
College professors are raising the alarm. Literature and writing instructor Tyler Jagt recently reported that not a single student in his university course could finish a standard 20-page academic article, a task that was routine for undergraduates just a decade ago.
This isn’t simply laziness. Neuroscientists describe it as a measurable atrophy of the brain’s deep-reading circuits. The constant pull of screens and the habit of outsourcing thinking to AI are fundamentally rewiring young minds.
Studies paint a troubling picture: an MIT study found that 83% of students who used AI to write essays could not recall or quote a single line from their own work, revealing severely reduced brain engagement during the task. Even the mere presence of a smartphone nearby has been shown to diminish cognitive performance.
Educators warn that by bypassing the natural struggle of sustained reading and writing, students are missing the very cognitive training required for complex thinking, creativity, and real-world problem-solving.
[1] NAEP 2024 Grade 12 Reading Results (National Assessment of Educational Progress)
[2] Tyler Jagt, “My Students Can’t Read,” The Chronicle of Higher Education (June 2026)
With $300 billion, we could end homelessness, fund cancer research for 40 years, and give every child free pre-K for over 7 years. Instead, Trump is sending it to Iran. This is not America First. Not even close.
$14.2 billion (reflecting pool)
$1 to 2 billion per day (war/Iran)
$300 billion (reconstruction of Iran)
$400+ million (ballroom)
$60 million (UFC stadium)
$2 million (pave Rose Garden)
$101 million (golf)
$2 million (housing Secret Service)
$4.7 billion (bombing Venezuela)
$1.776 billion (DOJ) - Cancelled
$100,000 (Christopher Columbus statue)
This is insane. Not to mention the $117 billion tax cut he gave the super rich for 2026 alone. That's money they dont have to pay taxes on and $1 trillion over the entirety of the "Big Beautiful Bill."
I'm sure I missed some items. The question is, is he helping America or in the driver's seat to bankrupting us?
The difference between this and the deal Trump tore up is that Iran now gets more money, fewer restrictions, less oversight, and more regional autonomy.
The Mississippi cop killed a baby because the management at Walmmart claimed A BABY was shoplifting a pack of diapers (bis mother had a receipt), and now they police have unleashed tear gas on community members protesting the execution of a baby.
This is America.
@Phil_Lewis_ $300 Billion to Iran, no $25,000 to Black Americans. The regime of whiteness - if Black people will benefit, then the answer is always 'no'.
A white teenager is accused of spray-painting racist slurs and Nazi symbols on a Black family’s home in East Baton Rouge Parish.
According to attorney @ryankeiththompson, this family endured months of harassment before this incident. Now, an elderly Black woman says she is afraid to return to her home.
If Louisiana is serious about being tough on crime, acts of racial terror and intimidation must be treated as seriously as any other crime.
No family should have to live in fear because of hate.
Share if you care. 🦾
@ABC So fake, again. The regime is always crafting and manufacturing fake attacks and assassinations. A REAL assassin/sniper won't miss. There were no attendees worthy; just a bunch of people smelling like wet dogs at that event.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were given access to voter files in two counties in Texas and North Carolina, according to an Axios news report.
https://t.co/ImG739hrwP