Gen Z's straightA boom is quietly shrinking their paychecks | Fortune

"Average grade inflation hurts. They are less likely to learn if it's very easy to get an A. They spend less time and effort. For each individual student, this dynamic chalks up to a decrease in yearly earnings of about $150 for every grade bumped up to a B+ from a B, for example."

"When teachers hand out easy A grades, their students are more likely to skip class, score worse on future tests, and earn less money years later. For a typical high school class, the researchers estimate grade inflation can shave about $213,000 off the group's future earnings."

"Gen Z is already the first generation to score lower than their parents on some measures of cognitive performance, as reading habits erode and schools lean harder on grades instead of learning."

A National Bureau of Economic Research study reveals that grade inflation produces significant negative long-term consequences for students. When teachers assign inflated grades, students skip class more frequently, perform worse on subsequent assessments, and earn substantially less money throughout their careers. For each letter grade artificially raised, individual students experience annual earnings reductions of about $150. The research indicates that easy grades reduce student motivation and effort, leading to decreased learning outcomes. This issue has gained political attention, with President Trump implementing policies linking federal university funding to strict grading standards. Gen Z represents the first generation scoring lower than their parents on cognitive performance measures, with declining reading habits contributing to this trend.

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