Arizona Discovers Connection Between Social Media And Dementia

Social media has been a definitive part of our culture for over a decade now. For the youth, many have never known a world without Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.

For years, we've figured these sites would have underlying effects long into the future, and one Arizona High Schooler may have just cracked the code.

Digital Dementia

Anjali Chokshi is a recent graduate of Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale, Arizona. During her senior year, she began to study Dementia, as her grandmother was suffering from the disease. In her studies, she realized that Dementia is not only a worry for the older generations, but for the younger ones as well.

Her research led her to discover that prolonged exposure to screens in formative years may lead to a higher risk of contracting dementia, as well as suffering from sleep deprivation, depression, and anxiety.

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Why is This Happening?

Most of Gen Z and Gen Alpha have spent almost the entirety of their lives in front of screens. Whether television, smartphone, or tablet, there's been some form of instant gratification in front of them at every step of the way.

"Passive Scrolling" is another major problem, creating memory loss and other mental issues in almost 50% of younger adults. This, coupled with a literal reliance on their devices has led younger adults to be much more prone to mental health issues. Chokshi, who graduated in the top 1% of her class, now plans to continue that research in a Public Health degree at the University of Arizona. Bear Down!

[NBC12]