Millennials are costing the government a fortune, but it’s not for their education or safety — it’s because they swipe right too often.
Fox Baltimore reported that dating websites and hookup apps such as Tinder, Grinder, and Coffee Meet Bagel may be the reason sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise for the first time in a decade, especially among millennials.
Real journalism.Trusted by millions.
Unlimited access to in-depth reporting, expert analysis, and the stories that shape our country.
Already a member? Log in
According to the CDC, millennials and Generation Z (ages 15 to 24) now account for nearly 10 million new cases of STDs diagnosed each year. Cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis have increased for the first time since 2006 despite young people having all the latest preventative advantages.
The 20 million people who suffer from STD infections cost U.S. taxpayers $16 billion annually. This is more than three times the amount the White House has budgeted to expand computer science education to students around the country, and six times more than the federal government is spending on the Apprenticeship Training Fund, to help develop on-the-job training for American workers.
Being the most advanced generation with access to endless knowledge on STDs, younger Americans have a responsibility to take precautions and get tested.
Both conservative and liberal millennials would be able to advance their causes of either paying down the national debt or having more funds to pay for Bernie Sanders’ revolution, if they’d only spend less time swiping right and more time learning how to protect themselves.