Lockdowns Didn’t “Prematurely Age” Teen Girl’s Brains
Why the new viral study is extremely misleading
Lockdowns have been one of the most contentious aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic since they were first enacted. Some people argue that every intervention that governments implemented during the pandemic was entirely justified due to the danger of the virus. Others took the position that the virus was basically safe for most of humanity and therefore governments should do little to nothing to combat it.
Personally, I have published scientifically arguing that it’s complex — some interventions were probably justified, some probably weren’t, and we have made little effort since 2020 to figure out which is which.
Now, headlines have called into question the idea that lockdowns could have done any good. According to a new study, it appears that lockdowns may have prematurely aged the brains of teenagers, which could impact everything from their mental health to future job prospects.
Fortunately, the data doesn’t really show this at all. This story is a case study in problematic science, and why it’s important to read the study even if it is published in a prestigious journal with a funny acronym.
