The birth rates in Europe are so low that there are now more people in Italy over 60 than under the age of 20. Greece, Spain, and Germany will all be in the same boat soon; not enough young people to support the aging population.
The everyday use of âaffectâ is the verb, meaning âto influenceâ (his methods affected me greatly), but it also means âto feignâ (he affected nonchalance). The everyday use of âeffectâ is the noun, meaning âresultâ (the effect of this has been to make him proud) or âinfluenceâ (he has had such an effect on me).
Blunted affect may be a symptom of depression. When a person fails to display emotion in a culturally-appropriate way, it is referred to as a blunted affect. Childhood trauma may produce a blunted affect in some individuals. An individual who shows blunted affect may be suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome.