GENERATIONS AND THE BRAIN: How We Think Differently
- Marcela Emilia Silva do Valle Pereira Ma Emilia
- Aug 19
- 7 min read
🧠 Generations and the Brain: how we think differently
We live in a world where generations coexist side by side — from Baby Boomers to Millennials, from Generation Z to Alpha. Each one brings with it different ways of thinking, learning, and relating to the world. But does each generation’s brain really work differently?
The answer lies in neuroscience: the human brain is highly plastic, meaning it shapes itself according to the experiences and stimuli it receives. This means that, more than “being born with a type of brain,” each generation is shaped by the cultural, technological, and social conditions of its time.
🌍 The brain and the cultural context
Neuroplasticity ensures that the environment in which we grow up leaves deep marks on brain connections. Experiences such as how we study, play, communicate, and even work directly impact cognitive skills.
A clear example is the influence of technology: while Baby Boomers were shaped by books and face-to-face interactions, younger generations were molded by the immediacy of social media, short videos, and digital multitasking.
This phenomenon is studied by fields such as cultural neuroscience and social neuroscience, which investigate how the environment, habits, and collective interactions shape brain functioning.
👥 How each generation’s brain was trained (and the technologies at their disposal)
🔹 Baby Boomers (1946–1964)
They grew up in an analog world, valuing stability, discipline, and learning based on reading and memorization. Their brains were trained for prolonged focus and linear thinking, less influenced by digital stimuli.
Available technologies: radios, creation of the first electronic computer (1946), televisions begin arriving in households (1947), pager launched in the USA (1956), the first artificial satellite placed in orbit (Sputnik 1 – 1957), launch of the first manned spacecraft (Vostok – 1961), Xerox manufactures the first fax machine for the general population (1964).
🔹 Generation X (1965–1980)
Known as the “bridge” between analog and digital. They developed adaptability and transitional skills, being exposed both to long periods of attention (books, radio, TV) and to the beginning of screens with television and the first computer prototypes.
Available technologies: launch of the first communication satellite for electronic data transfer (1965), exchange of the first email in history between two US universities (it took 1 hour to send the message “lo” – 1969), launch of what is considered the first cell phone in the USA (1977).
🔹 Millennials (1981–1996)
The first generation to “be born” alongside the internet. Their brains were shaped by digital multitasking: switching between tabs, messages, notifications, and different media formats. This lifestyle increased processing speed but also raised alerts about risks of reduced sustained attention capacity.
Available technologies: first space shuttle flight (1981), launch of the first hypertext browser for the internet (1990 – only made available the following year), development of the first atom-sized transistor (1995), GPS declared fully operational (1995).
🔹 Generation Z (1997–2010)
Digital natives par excellence. Exposed to smartphones from birth, social media, and short videos from childhood, they developed a preference for visuals and quick information processing. They tend to show less patience for long texts and greater sensitivity to dopamine triggered by likes and notifications.
Available technologies: launch of the first DVDs in Brazil (1998), dial-up internet emerges and grows at an impressive speed worldwide (1999), MP3 files begin to be used and transmitted online (1999), launch of the first USB flash drive in the world (2000), launch of the first iPod (2001), introduction of the smartphone concept in Brazil with the BlackBerry 850 (2002). The era of social networks begins with the first social network in the world, Orkut (2004), soon after came Facebook (2004), Google Maps (2005), YouTube (2005), Twitter (2006). Apple launches its first iPhone (2007), starting the smartphone era, and the iPad (2010). But still in 2009, the world’s largest messaging app, WhatsApp, was born.
🔹 Generation Alpha (2010+)
Still in development, but already immersed in augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and hyperconnectivity. The expectation is that they will have brains highly trained for multimedia integration, but also face unprecedented challenges related to attention, social interaction, and emotional regulation.
Available technologies: first electric cars (2010), expansion of cloud computing (2010), emergence of SmartTVs (2010), beginning of Netflix’s global expansion as a streaming service (2011), arrival of the Curiosity rover on Mars (2012), launch of Google Drive (2012), launch of the iPad Mini (2012), popularization of digital banks — emergence of Nubank (2013), launch of the first phone with fingerprint recognition – iPhone 5S (2013). Expansion of ride-hailing services like Uber and music streaming like Spotify (2014), launch of AI-powered personal assistants — Google’s Echo and Amazon’s Alexa (2014), tests and prototypes of self-driving cars (2015), launch of Pokémon Go that popularized augmented reality technology (2016), Microsoft acquisition of the first business-oriented social network, LinkedIn (2016), popularization of the Internet of Things (IoT) with interconnection of everyday devices (2017), introduction of chatbots (artificial intelligence) in company support lines (2018), expansion of 5G networks (2019), watches with electrocardiogram (2019). Digital transformation (2020) – growth of AI and Machine Learning for facial recognition and predictive analysis (2021), advances in robotics with multifunctional robots (2022), beginning of the Era of Artificial Intelligences that create content with the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT (2022), hyperautomation (2023), expansion of the Metaverse (2024), advanced biotechnology with the launch of robots to generate human babies (2025), neurochips to restore activity in paraplegics and quadriplegics (2025).
⚡ The problem of technology for the brain
The brain is an organ that needs to be actively trained. It is not a muscle, but synapses only work if they have something to work on.
Brain connections are created with a purpose and every action results in a reaction, whether organic or inorganic. The organic ones are those innate to our control, such as making the heart beat, breathing, blinking, digesting, and so on. The inorganic ones are those we control, meaning those we learn and teach the brain to do, like reading, speaking, drawing, cooking, riding a bike.
Technology is a facilitator that allows learning to be smoother and less difficult, offering various tools to overcome challenges without much effort. But when used irregularly, it raises a red flag!
With technology making things so easy, learning the content itself has no longer been the goal of many people since they believe they will always have their devices available to help them when necessary. And more than that, dependence on the object grows stronger.
This type of behavior has led to changes in the brain structure of new generations, with a decrease in the hippocampus and amygdala, key and important regions for memory and learning, which have been shrinking due to underuse. This change has then triggered a snowball effect that results in quicker loss of patience, social comparison, and excessive dependence on devices.
With smart devices more easily available, excessive technology use has also been associated with problems such as lack of attention — since the person cannot disconnect from the social world or multiple screens; deficiencies in emotional and social intelligence — the world through screens hides the real world that requires dealing with frustrations, emotions, and social situations; paradox of feeling isolated even with increased connectivity.
But the greatest danger associated with excessive technology use has been the alert about addiction, since being connected to social networks can create an imaginary world in the minds of children and adolescents. They forget that the world around them is not instantaneous like the internet — there are paths to walk, ads and lines to wait for — and that world is not real, and they need to disconnect from it — which can lead to behaviors similar to substance abuse.
🧪 Neuroscience behind the differences
The main brain areas involved in these changes are:
Prefrontal cortex: responsible for planning, decision-making, and emotional regulation — more demanded in digital environments with excessive stimuli.
Hippocampus: fundamental for memory and learning, it can be impacted both by prolonged reading and by excessive fragmented information.
Amygdala: associated with emotions and threat processing, directly stimulated by the social pressure of networks and constant comparison.
Dopaminergic system: the search for quick rewards (likes, messages, notifications) reinforces dependency cycles in younger brains.
🤝 Points of convergence
Despite the differences, all brains follow the same universal principles: neuroplasticity, the ability to learn throughout life, and the need for social connection.
This means that there is no generation “better” than another. What exists are different contexts that shape different skills. And, when we bring these strengths together — the focus of Boomers, the adaptability of Generation X, the creativity of Millennials, the quickness of Generation Z, and the innovation of Alpha — we expand collective potential.
🌟 Conclusion
The brain does not belong to a generation — it is human. And what unites us is stronger than what separates us: the ability to learn, reinvent ourselves, and create together.
The next time you think about generational differences, remember: it’s not about who thinks better, but about how we can learn from each other to build a more creative, collaborative, and balanced future.
📚 References
• Small, G., & Vorgan, G. (2008). iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind. HarperCollins.• Greenfield, P. M. (2014). Mind and Media: The Effects of Television, Video Games, and Computers. Routledge.• Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1–6.• Immordino-Yang, M. H., & Damasio, A. (2007). We feel, therefore we learn: The relevance of affective and social neuroscience to education. Mind, Brain, and Education, 1(1), 3–10.• Hoehe, M. R., & Thibaut, F. (2020). Going digital: how technology use may influence human brains and behavior. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 22(2), 93–97. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2020.22.2/mhoehe• Small, G. W., et al. (2020). Brain health consequences of digital technology use.
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