“Brain rot” isn’t just a meme for Gen Z—it’s also a medical concern. A 2025 Yale School of Medicine study shows that many young adults have reported challenges with memory and thinking recently. For 18-34-year-olds, the rate of “self-reported cognitive disability” jumped from 5.1% in 2013 to 9.7% in 2023, outpacing the rate among adults overall, which jumped from 5.3% to 7.4% over the same 10 year period. These cognitive issues could reportedly have major societal and economic consequences, like costing the global economy $1.3T because of potential impacts on workplace productivity. One solution to undoing this damaging cognitive aging could be to reduce screentime. Of course, these issues are often attributed to long-term exposure to devices, social media, and short-form content. Young adults are already increasingly craving screen-free moments and taking up offline hobbies, so these stats might continue pushing them away from racking up screen hours. (Fast Company)
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