Jonathan Haidt, a prominent psychologist and author of the controversial book “The Anxious Generation,” argues that the rise of social media and smartphone addiction directly correlates with deteriorating mental health among young people. Hamari’s findings sparked an engaging debate on the issue that technology is impacting youth. With the troubling statistics surrounding screen time and youth mental health, this conversation seems more important than ever.
Earlier this year, Common Sense Media produced a report titled “Constant Companion.” Together, this meant that teens are inundated with almost 240 notifications a day, leading them to check their phones over 100 times a day. This perpetual connectedness compels youth ages 13 to 18 to spend more than eight hours and 39 minutes per day in front of screens. A new equity report from 2021 illustrates this troubling trend. As Haidt explains in the book, addressing these behaviors needs to happen immediately. At 25 years old, the brain’s frontal cortex — the part linked to decision making and attention — is about 90 percent developed.
Haidt’s recommendations include a radical approach: he suggests that young individuals should consider going “cold turkey” from social media for an entire month. “I would recommend going cold turkey [from social apps] for a month, if you can,” he stated. He encourages individuals to enlist friends and family in this challenge, saying, “If you can find three other family members, three friends to do this with.”
The health effects of too much smartphone usage are serious. In fact, research has shown that greater social media use correlates with worsened anxiety and depression among young people. In a July 2016 advisory, then-U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy cautioned that he pointed to an increased risk for depression, anxiety disorder, and suicide due to excessive smartphone and social media use. Haidt articulates concerns about the long-term effects of distraction: “Do you think any employer’s going to find it useful to hire someone who can’t focus?” he questioned.
The impact of digital distraction goes beyond public health. It can be an impediment to professional success, too. Haidt tells readers to take old-fashioned, personal initiative and start retraining themselves to focus again. He believes that restoring focus is essential, stating, “It is urgent that you restore your brain.”
In addition to Haidt’s recommendations, Srini Pillay, a Harvard psychiatrist and brain researcher, highlights the role of music in enhancing concentration. He says, “There are countless ways that music can help improve the brain’s capacity to focus. But on the downside, he cautions against emotionally volatile music for studying, which can compromise concentration by flooding the brain’s focus centers with distractions.
Haidt’s views gained considerable attention after he spoke with a 17-year-old self-proclaimed social media addict on a recent episode of The Oprah Podcast. In and around the fireside chat, he focused on how social media has been engineered specifically to hijack our attention at every turn. “These things are designed to interrupt you,” he remarked, underscoring the need for a more mindful approach to technology use.
Bill Gates calls “The Anxious Generation” a must read. He thinks it should be required reading for parents who want insight on the tough new world their kids are navigating in the digital age. The book’s controversial stance has stirred debate among educators and parents alike, prompting many to reconsider their own relationships with technology and its potential impact on youth development.
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