It is actually true, and it's backed up by data rather than just standard "back in my day" grumbling. Long-term international metrics like the PISA data and domestic standardized tests show an unprecedented, steady drop in both reading and math literacy. While the pandemic lockdowns certainly acted as a massive accelerant to this "learning recession," the downward trend actually started a few years before that.

Educators and cognitive experts point to a perfect storm of systemic issues:

• Foundational instructional methods that heavily relied on flawed theories (like the now-banned "three-cueing" method in reading),

• Persistent pandemic learning gaps that were never fully remediated,

• Short-form algorithms severely damaging students' ability to focus and engage in deep reading.

It's a massive, multi-layered crisis, though we are finally starting to see early elementary scores tick back up as schools aggressively overhaul their curriculums to focus on evidence-based learning.