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\t\t\tImage via Getty \/ Futurism<\/p>\n
If you don\u2019t feel as mentally sharp as before, you\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n
People from the ages of 18 to 39 have experienced a significant increase in cognitive issues such as \u201cserious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions\u201d in the span of about a decade, according to a startling new study<\/a> published in the journal Neurology.<\/p>\n A team of American scientists analyzed data from 4.5 million Americans who took part in phone surveys between 2013 and 2023; the overall proportion of respondents suffering cognitive issues overall ticked up from 5.3 to 7.4 percent, but adults under the age of 40 jumped from 5.1 to 9.7 percent \u2014 almost double.<\/p>\n What\u2019s the cause? The paper doesn\u2019t confront that question deeply, but the researchers speculated that it could be due to \u201cchanging perceptions or experiences of cognitive challenges in the US population.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMore research is also needed to understand what\u2019s driving the large increase in rates among younger adults, given the potential long-term implications for health, workforce productivity and health care systems,\u201d said the study\u2019s principal investigator, Adam de Havenon, a neurologist in the Yale School of Medicine, in a statement<\/a> about the research.<\/p>\n The researchers conducted their study by analyzing phone survey data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and focusing on responses from people who reported a \u201ccognitive disability,\u201d such as memory problems, concentration issues, or difficulty in executive function.<\/p>\n After performing some statistical analysis, the researchers found not only that those under the ages of 40 were reporting a significant increase in cognitive issues, but also that there\u2019d been large jumps among respondents with incomes below $35,000 (8.8 to 12.6 percent), and those without a high school diploma (11.1 to 14.3 percent.) Adults who made more than $75,000 and had a college degree experienced a smaller increase.<\/p>\n While most people in the survey were white, people in all racial groups also reported decaying cognitive ability over the years, with indigenous Americans experiencing the biggest increase overall, from 7.5 to 11.2 percent.<\/p>\n Tellingly, the same study found that senior citizens ages 70 and older \u2014 the group you\u2019d think would have the highest risk as they contend with the threat of age-related dementia \u2014 reported a slight decrease in cognitive issues from 7.3 to 6.6 percent.<\/p>\n They\u2019re fascinating findings, but a firm takeaway is unclear: are more people experiencing cognitive issues, are they self-diagnosing problems where none exist, or is something else going on?<\/p>\n \u201cIt could reflect actual changes in brain health, better awareness and willingness to report problems, or other health and social factors. But regardless of possible causes, the rise is real \u2014 and it\u2019s especially pronounced in people under 40,\u201d de Havenon said.<\/p>\n There is indeed greater awareness of cognitive issues \u2014 you can see that with the rise of ADHD influencers<\/a>. But it could also be that addictive algorithms in our smart phones have shredded our attention span, which has been demonstrated in other research<\/a>.<\/p>\n It also makes sense there would be an increase in cognitive issues among people who lead precarious lives and are part of underserved communities, suggesting that economics and hidden racial bias also play their part in this concerning trend; if life is hard, it\u2019s difficult to make good decisions. <\/p>\n Those explanations could also suggest the situation is poised to get worse. The numbers may well jump even further as the country experiences deepening wealth inequality<\/a>, and the further entrenchment of tech into our daily lives. And that\u2019s without getting into the impact of \u201cAI psychosis<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to change intractable economic and racial barriers, but there\u2019s one thing in almost everyone\u2019s power: step away from the screen and go touch some grass.<\/p>\n