I NAMED GEN Z THE "SCREENAGERS" IN THE EARLY 2000s, A GENERATION RAISED INSIDE THE ALGORITHM THAT WOULD BE SHAPED AND HARMED BY IT. THE 2026 DATA IS THE LANDING.

Question

Igor Beuker · Accepted Answer

I coined the term "screenagers" more than two decades ago to describe a generation that would not go online but live there, raised inside the algorithm and shaped, and harmed, by it. It was a warning. In 2026 it is the reality. The data landed hard. 46 percent of Gen Z now carry a formal mental-health diagnosis. The share reporting excellent mental health fell from 37 percent to 23 percent in just six years. The Flynn Effect, the century-long rise in IQ scores, has reversed. And Australia banned social media for under-16s, with fines up to 50 million Australian dollars. This is the most-shared slide I have ever put on a stage: a baby, a screen, a culture. The science is blunt, no smartphones before 15, because the prefrontal cortex is still buffering while dopamine from likes and loot boxes rewires the brain. I called it early. The generation is now living the consequences.

I named gen z the "screenagers" in the early 2000s, a generation raised inside the algorithm that would be shaped and harmed by it. The 2026 data is the landing.