WSJ Tech News Briefing · Tuesday, September 8, 2026
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development reports that widespread use of AI tools on social media has contributed to a significant drop in high school reading skills worldwide. Tests of 760,000 students showed a decline in the ability to evaluate information and think critically.
“And widespread use of AI tools and social media has contributed to a sharp decline in high school reading skills across the world.”
“Tests of 760,000 15-year-olds across 91 countries showed a significant drop in scores compared with a decade earlier, reflecting a reduced ability to evaluate information, think critically, and bring together multiple pieces of evidence.”
“Between 2015 and 2025, average reading scores fell by 28 points for OECD members and by 16 points elsewhere.”