Youth

Time - Around the world, cancer rates in people under 50 are surging, with a recent study in BMJ Oncology showing that new cases for young adults have risen 79% overall over the past three decades. In the U.S. alone, new cancer diagnoses in people under 50 hit 3.26 million, with the most common types being breast, windpipe, lung, bowel, and stomach. A new feature in the Wall Street Journal highlights the mad dash among doctors and researchers to determine what’s causing this troubling rise. Strangely, overall cancer rates in the U.S. have dropped over the past three decades, while young people—particularly with colorectal cancers—are increasingly diagnosed at late stages.

Harpers:  Percentage of Gen Z Americans who suffer from “menu anxiety” : 86 ... Who ask other people to order for them at restaurants because of this : 34... Who use self-checkout aisles because of social anxiety : 38

NPR -  If you’ve been seeing more diamond rings on your social media feed lately, you’re not the only one. Wedding industry players are expecting 2024 to be a banner year for engagements, CBS News reports. Signet Jewelers is anticipating that a record 2.5 million couples will get engaged this year, and dress retailer Bella Bridesmaids said it saw a 30% uptick in business in January alone. “We are just really shaping up to have one of our best seasons yet,” owner Erin Wolf said.   Sarah Schreiber, associate editorial director at Brides magazine, said the COVID-19 pandemic is likely the cause of the 2024 engagement boom. “The singles were not mingling,” she said of the 2020 shutdown. “When those pandemic restrictions lifted, everybody came out, the dating seemed [to blossom] again. Relationships boomed. Consider the fact [that] the average American couple takes about three years to get engaged. Everybody is getting ready to take that next step.”