Smarter Isn’t Just Faster: Why Our Kids’ Thinking Really Matters

Screens were supposed to make our kids smarter, but what if the opposite is happening?

Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, a cognitive neuroscientist, sounded an alarm recently before Congress. His research revealed that kids today, especially Gen Z, are showing a decline in cognitive development, despite spending more time in school than any previous generation.

Why? According to the data, the widespread adoption of digital technology in the classroom.

In schools across 80 countries, once tech becomes heavily integrated, student performance drops. In fact, kids who use computers for 5 hours per day in school score 2/3 of a standard deviation lower than their peers who rarely use tech at all.

That’s not just a stat, it’s a signal calling us to act.

Why Intellect Isn’t Optional

In this episode of Facing the Dark, Dr. Kathy Koch reminds us: if we want our children to succeed and stand strong, they need to think well.

In a chaotic culture, kids need discernment. That starts with the mind.

Technology often invites passivity, outsourcing creativity and curiosity to algorithms. But real intellect isn’t about acing a test. It’s about the ability to reason, reflect, apply truth, and live in wisdom.

Intellect is a muscle. And like any muscle, if we don’t use it, we lose it.

Freedom Grows When Kids Can Think for Themselves

Wayne shared a powerful idea from Os Guinness and Chuck Colson: freedom is a virtue, but it’s not license. True freedom requires the maturity to know how and when to act.

Our kids need this kind of freedom, freedom that comes not from reacting to every input but from slowing down and discerning.

That’s why intellect matters. It’s not about being “the smartest in the class.” It’s about living with purpose and identity.

And as Dr. Kathy explained, that kind of intellect is built one question at a time, one opportunity at a time. It starts in early childhood, when parents give kids the freedom to participate, answer, create, be wrong, and learn.

The kind of intellect we’re after isn’t cold or mechanical. It’s joyful and deeply human.

Education Should Fit the Context, Not Just the Curriculum

Dr. Kathy also pointed out something essential: all learning is local. You can't apply one national educational standard to both downtown Fort Worth and rural Minnesota without losing something important.

That’s why we need schools, families, and communities to ask deeper questions like:

• What do we want our kids to know, believe, be, and do?

• Are we raising kids to pass a test, or live a life that honors God?

• Are we teaching character, not just content?

• Are we shaping minds and hearts?

Because God doesn’t call us to build smarter kids. He calls us to raise wise disciples.

Bible Spotlight: Solomon’s Thinking Heart

In 1 Kings 3:7–9, young Solomon becomes king and immediately prays:

“Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong…”
(1 Kings 3:9, NIV)

Solomon doesn’t ask for riches or fame; he asks for discernment.

It’s a reminder that godly intellect is not just IQ. It’s about seeing clearly in a confusing world. It’s about slow thinking in a fast culture. It’s about applying truth with courage and grace.

That’s the kind of intellect we want for our kids.

8 Great Smarts: Help Your Kids Build Thinking Muscles

Looking for ways to grow your child’s intellect, without adding more homework? Try these ideas for each of the 8 Great Smarts:

• Word Smart
  Ask your child to describe their day in three powerful words. Then, write a short story using them.

• Logic Smart
  Create a real life “problem of the day.” It could be anything from budgeting snack money to solving a household chore rotation.

• Picture Smart
  Have your child draw a visual flowchart of how they solve problems or make decisions.

• Music Smart
  Play instrumental music during study or reflection time. Ask: What ideas or emotions does this music spark?

• Body Smart
  Let them move while learning, bounce a ball during spelling, or use Legos to build a Bible story scene.

• Nature Smart
  Use patterns in nature (snowflakes, leaves, animal behaviors) to inspire questions about God and design.

• People Smart
  Hold a family discussion night. Let your child lead a topic or facilitate a Q&A.

• Self Smart
  Encourage journaling with questions like: "What did I learn today?"What do I still wonder about?

Remember: Intellect isn’t something we inherit. It’s something we cultivate.

And when our kids learn to discern wisely and apply truth boldly, they shine.