"linked to" is used as a synonym for "correlated with" in articles aimed at a layman audience because they think the latter is a word that isn't part of the lay

"linked to" is used as a synonym for "correlated with" in articles aimed at a layman audience because they think the latter is a word that isn't part of the layman's vocabulary. It is debatable whether this type of presumed accommodation leads to making the articles more accessible, or just dumbs down colloquial language further in a perpetual spiral to the bottom.