Feeling like your brain’s on a permanent coffee break? You’re in good company, as a Neurology study reveals young Americans aged 18-39 are reporting cognitive woes—like foggy focus, memory mishaps, and decision disasters—at nearly double the rate from a decade ago, jumping from 5.1% to 9.7%. Analyzing phone surveys from 4.5 million folks between 2013 and 2023, researchers spotted spikes especially among low-income earners, non-grads, and diverse racial groups, with Indigenous Americans hit hardest. Meanwhile, seniors over 70 are oddly sharper, dipping slightly in complaints. Blame it on smartphone addiction shredding attention spans, economic stress muddling minds, or just heightened awareness of issues like ADHD? The study calls for more digging into causes, warning of impacts on health, jobs, and society—because if the youth are losing it, we’re all in trouble. Time to log off and touch grass before “brain fog” becomes the new normal.
Huge Proportion of Young Americans Report Serious Cognitive Issues
