Shocking consequence of the pandemic

[old dog 2]

Children born during pandemic have lower IQs, US study finds

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/12/children-born-during-pandemic-have-lower-iqs-us-study-finds


This is not a slight drop, it is from 100 to 79.

Since the beginning in March of 2020, the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic in the USA, and the accompanying economic shut-down has brought about significant upheavals to the social, economic, and public health environments in which children live, grow and play. While children, and those under age 5, have largely been spared from the severe health and mortality complications associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, they have not been immune to the impact of the stay-at-home, masking, and social distancing policies. These policies, meant to limit spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, have closed daycares, schools, parks, and playgrounds, and have disrupted children’s educational opportunities, limited explorative play and interaction with other children, and reduced physical activity levels. From the beginning of the pandemic, there has been concern that these public-health policies would adversely impact infant and early child development and mental health. While there is no past analogue or example of non-conflict related wide-spread and prolonged lock-downs from which to draw information from, concern for child development stemmed principally from the known impact that family and home stress, parent and child anxiety, lack of stimulating environments, and other economic and environmental adversities can have on the developing infant and
child brain.

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.10.21261846v1.full.pdf

[thundley4]

Lower IQs won't matter much since Democrats are letting kids leave high school without being able to read, write or do math.

[Eupher]

I'm fully on board with the idea that the pandemic has done incredible harm to all facets of U.S. life, but I'm just not inclined to sign on to this particular idea.

Granted, kids need to develop social skills and interact with others.

But with the advent of ubiquitous cell phones in which EVERY FLIPPIN' KID I know has his nose buried in it 24/7, how much is this "IQ Shift" attributed to the pandemic vice technology?

Case in point -- was talking to a master plumber yesterday, whose 14-year old son accompanies him on jobs. The son's Dad told me it's exceptionally difficult to have workers enter the trades (as is evidenced by Mike Rowe's very eloquent discussions on same), a factor he's seen in his own son. Too many options for kids, and most of them lean toward online social activity versus just going to the flippin' school yard and playing a game of sandlot baseball.

Yeah, I know. I'm revealing my age.

And GTFO my lawn.