Jonathan Haidt
The mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s as a phone-based childhood replaced a play-based one. This rapid shift has sparked a debate about technology's true impact on youth well-being.
The transition from a play-based childhood to a phone-based childhood is heavily linked to severe increases in adolescent mood disorders.
Heavy screen time is associated with social deprivation, sleep loss, attention fragmentation, and digital addiction among teens.
Advocates propose delaying smartphone ownership until high school and restricting social media access until age sixteen.