Between Largely Dodging Both Leaded Gas And AI-Driven Social Media, Millennials Might Be The Smartest Generation - Above the Law

Leaded gasoline exposure in childhood is linked to lower cognitive performance. A large U.S. study found the strongest effects in people who were children during the 1960s and 1970s, when leaded gasoline use peaked. Those born in the mid-to-late 1960s experienced the greatest average decline, losing about six IQ points from inhaling lead-laced auto exhaust. Lead use began tapering after environmental regulations but was not fully banned as a gasoline additive until 1996, leaving other generations exposed at lower levels. Separately, heavy reliance on screen media in childhood is associated with impaired cognitive development, and the risk is expected to increase with expanding technology use.

"According to a large study published several years ago in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, in the United States the issue is most pronounced in people who were children in the 1960s and 1970s, when leaded gas use peaked. Narrowing in even further, the research demonstrated that those born in the mid-to-late 1960s suffered worst of all, losing on average six IQ points due to constantly inhaling lead-laced auto exhaust."

"Today, these most-affected folks are in their late 50s and early 60s. Though its use started to taper off after the advent of new environmental regulations, lead was only banned completely as a gasoline additive in 1996 (it was first used as early as 1923) so plenty of other generations do also suffer from lead-related impairment at lower levels."

"I was born in 1985, about a decade too early to completely avoid toxic lead exposure in the air. However, my generation was the last to have a significant advantage in cognitive development that no kids will ever have again: being raised and educated without the toxic effects of smartphones."

"There are all kinds of studies on the negative impacts of what today's parents refer to as "screen time." Although under certain conditions shoving a tablet in front of your toddler can have certain educational benefits, for the most part, "[c]hildren's heavy reliance on screen media" has been found to fairly drastically impair cognitive development."

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