By Christian R. Lebrón León
No, we are not smarter. Neither our high school graduates, nor university students, nor our own children. What we have is more information at hand, available instantly, but easy access to data is not synonymous with intelligence. Far from a supposed cognitive advance, statistics demonstrate a troubling reality: we are witnessing an alarming regression in critical thinking ability and general competence.
As a Labor Relations advisor with over 25 years of experience enforcing federal laws and conducting quite complex investigations, I am clear on one universal truth: all systems thrive with good standards, and societies crumble without them. Today, I observe a dangerous trend that threatens the very foundation of Puerto Rico's future – and I'm not just referring to the government, but also to our classrooms and licensing boards.
We are systematically lowering the quality of our professionals and calling it "progress," creating a dangerous illusion of competence that will have catastrophic long-term costs.
I hear it daily from parents here in Puerto Rico: "Look at my three-year-old with that phone! They're so smart; they know more than I do!" We see a child instinctively swipe a screen with ease, and we confuse digital familiarity with intelligence. Meanwhile, our classrooms and examining boards tell a different, more troubling story: one of systemic deterioration disguised as low expectations. Let us remember that these so-called examining boards are responsible for overseeing the practice, licensing, and revalidation of many professions on the island.
The Illusion of Academic Advancement
This is not abstract theory; it's what I experience as a father. My eighth-grade son was enrolled in Algebra 2 at a private school, a course intended for students much older than him. Let's remember that in the United States, Algebra 2 is typically taken by eleventh-grade students (ages 16 to 17). The reality? His teacher had to divide the exams into micro-assignments because students couldn't complete them in class or send the quizzes and exams home for them to complete.
This is not advanced learning; it is the illusion of advancement. I pulled him out of there, and now I homeschool him. My older son, who was largely homeschooled, later outperformed all his former classmates, earning a top score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).
The trend is clear: we are trading genuine mastery of a subject for the appearance of achievement. But the reality is that many parents don't care, as long as they can boast that their children have a 4.0 GPA.
Today, I see a dangerous double trend threatening our future in both Puerto Rico and the United States. We are systematically reducing academic and professional demands while simultaneously surrendering our cognitive capacity to digital devices. The result is a generation in intellectual crisis. A generation that "seems very smart," but is not.
The Systemic Erosion of Critical Thinking
The most alarming consequence here is what you and I see daily: the erosion of critical thinking. This becomes evident when interacting with some professionals—doctors, engineers, or lawyers—who, despite their titles, fail when faced with new or unexpected problems. They lack critical thinking.
This is a direct result of diluted standards, and the evidence is seen in our professionals:
1. In Medicine: In May 2022, the Puerto Rico Board of Medical Licensure reduced its minimum passing scores for licensure. For the first part of the exam (Basic Sciences), the score dropped from 425 to 420, and for the second part (Clinical Sciences), from 443 to 418. This adjustment dramatically increased the pass rate for the first exam administered in December 2021: the first part jumped from 34% to 49.1%, allowing 113 additional candidates to pass, while the second part saw 95 more candidates pass, raising its approval rate to 86.6%. Authorities called it "justice," but what they achieved was a lower standard of competence [Telemundo PR, May 11, 2022].
Furthermore, a bill introduced in the Puerto Rico House of Representatives on February 17, 2026, proposes to further relax medical licensing requirements, eliminating the need for a pre-med or science bachelor's degree and thus facilitating pathways for doctors licensed in other U.S. jurisdictions to practice on the island [NotiCel, February 17, 2026]. To exacerbate the situation, the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) averages at medical schools in Puerto Rico generally range from 499 to 504 points. These scores are below the national average for students accepted into U.S. medical universities, which is approximately 511 or 512 points. This makes our schools less competitive in terms of scores, despite often requiring a high school Grade Point Average (GPA) of " A ".
For example, the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine has the highest average, with 504 points (average GPA: 3.90), while others, such as Ponce Health Sciences University (499–501), Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine (499–501), and San Juan Bautista School of Medicine (498–500, with a minimum of 492), are usually at the lower end of this range [San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Instagram]. This disparity suggests an excessive reliance on GPA (which is clearly subject to grade inflation) rather than standardized aptitude tests and external benchmarks for medical school admissions.
2. In Law: On June 9, 2022, the Puerto Rico Supreme Court unanimously lowered the minimum passing score for the General Bar Exam from 596 to 569 adjusted points (Resolution EC-2022-03). The Court's own resolution indicated that the 2020 applicants "were not equally prepared for the bar exam when compared to the population of people examined in previous years." The result? 72 additional candidates immediately passed, increasing the overall pass rate to 42%. The standard was changed to match decreasing preparedness [Puerto Rico Judiciary, June 9, 2022].
3. In Allied Health Professions: Senate hearings in July 2025 in the Puerto Rico Health Committee revealed alarming pass rates among respiratory therapists. For example, in August 2024, only 27% passed the theoretical exam, and in February 2025, it dropped to 25%. The president of the Board of Examiners for Respiratory Therapists estimated the overall failure rate at 75%. Discussions during the hearings focused on revising the exams themselves and even on eliminating the associate degree requirement by 2030, rather than addressing students' fundamental training and preparation. This is a clear example of adjusting the system to failure instead of demanding excellence [Puerto Rico Senate, July 8, 2025].
Academic Complicity and Artificial Intelligence
This mindset of "adapting" to low standards and even intellectual delegation has reached our schools and universities.
I recall a revealing conversation with two professors from a private university in Ponce. I expressed my deep concern about students' widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI), fearing that this tool allowed them to obtain answers without genuinely mastering the subject or exercising critical thinking. To my surprise, both responded unanimously and emphatically: not only did they accept the omnipresence of AI, but they actively defended it. They argued that it is an inescapable reality that must be integrated into the classroom, and admitted that it has "relieved" them of many of their own tasks by delegating duties that previously required their intellect.
This testimony, though shocking, underscores an alarming trend: when even those responsible for fostering critical thinking yield to the convenience of technology for themselves and their students, we are not only diluting academic standards but also normalizing the illusion of competence in which access to information is confused with deep knowledge and the capacity for independent reasoning.
This pattern creates professionals with credentials but without the deep analytical reasoning needed to tackle complex real-world challenges. The system is adjusting to failure instead of demanding excellence.
The problem is that you are entrusting our country's future to these supposed "professionals," questioning how many of them are simply improvising on the job. It's a stark contrast to true expertise. I recall a consultation where a doctor asked my wife to list all her surgeries. When she mentioned a C-section, his response was: "Wow, most women forget to mention that." At that moment, I thought: "But he is the expert. How can he expect new patients, or patients in general, to know the definition of a surgery and what qualifies as such? He should know what constitutes a surgery, not the patient." It's similar to someone casually using terms like "hostile environment" when I, as a labor relations expert, know the precise legal and policy questions required to determine if it truly meets the definition of "hostile environment." How many of these professionals—doctors, lawyers, engineers, or whoever—when you question their opinion (because most of the time they only provide opinions, not factual and well-reasoned answers), respond: "Who's the doctor, you or I?"
The National Epidemic: "Cell Phones Are Killing This Society"
This is not an isolated problem on the island. It is a national cognitive crisis, and the evidence is overwhelming. In January 2026, neuroscientist Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation with a powerful, data-backed statement: "Our children are less cognitively capable than we were at their age" [We Are The Mighty, February 13, 2026].
He wasn't calling them "less intelligent." He was diagnosing a societal collapse. The culprit? The very devices we confuse with intelligence: cell phones.
1. The Negative Flynn Effect: For decades, IQ scores increased. Now, they are declining in high-income nations. Research directly links this to environmental factors, particularly unregulated screen time, such as cell phones, as the prime suspect [We Are The Mighty, February 13, 2026].2. Digital Classrooms, Declining Skills: Dr. Horvath's testimony revealed that, as schools became increasingly digital, reading and math skills stagnated or declined. International PISA exam data show that students who report more intensive computer use in class score lower in basic subjects [We Are The Mighty, February 13, 2026]. The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a triennial study that measures the competencies of 15-year-old students in reading, mathematics, and science.
3. The Illusion of Engagement: Screens promote constant task switching and divided attention, making it neurologically difficult to build deep understanding, concentration, and memory. Paper and handwriting still outperform screens in learning comprehension and retention [We Are The Mighty, February 13, 2026].
We are lowering educational and professional standards, even as the digital environment erodes the very cognitive skills needed to meet any rigorous standard. A cell phone in a child's hand is not a sign of genius; it is often a tool that hinders the development of critical and sustained thinking, which we are, at the same time, ceasing to demand.
This creates a self-reinforcing vicious cycle:
1. Cognitive Erosion: Excessive screen time fragments attention and weakens deep processing. IQ scores, which increased for decades, are now declining in high-income nations, directly linked to unregulated screen time.2. Educational Dilution: Systems, incapable of teaching distracted minds, lower standards (e.g., dividing tests into micro-assignments). For example, see the results of the 2024 NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) in 4th-grade mathematics in public schools in Puerto Rico, where students in Puerto Rico obtained an average score of 184, compared to an average of 237 for students in the United States, and only 2% of these met the required proficiency. This score was the lowest among the 52 states and jurisdictions in the United States.
This trend is further evidenced by the 2022-2023 META standardized tests, which revealed substantial gaps in academic competence in Puerto Rico. For example, only 34% of economically disadvantaged students achieved proficiency in Spanish, compared to 49% of their more affluent peers. In mathematics, only 22% of disadvantaged students achieved proficiency, compared to 28% of those with greater economic resources. The gap was wider in English, with 30% proficiency among disadvantaged students compared to 50% among others.Puerto Rico continues to rank lowest nationally in mathematics proficiency, with 0% of fourth-grade students reaching proficient or advanced levels on NAEP tests, demonstrating an urgent need for intervention [News is My Business, June 13, 2024].
3. Illusion of Licensure: From examining boards to the Supreme Court, institutions are lowering professional license scores to address shortages, rather than solving the root cause of the problem.
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