We don’t raise kids today like we used to.
How old were you when your parents started letting you walk to school or the store? Or to a friend’s house? How old was your own child when you let them walk to school or to the store? Or to a friend’s house? The gap between these two answers illustrates a core part of how childhood has changed in the last few decades.
Why it matters: According to psychologist Jonathan Haidt, the loss of autonomy, independence, and free-play in childhood combined with the rise of internet connected devices and social media is terrible for kids. It may be leading to the increase in rates of anxiety, depression, and self-harm in young people, especially Gen Z (born in and after 1996).
Evidence is mixed regarding the impact of screen time, gaming, and social media use on childhood and adolescent mental health. Psychologist Lisa Damour recently told UNICEF "I’ve known social media to be a lifeline for young people who struggle to make peer connections in their local community." But Damour also warns “I worry about social media use when it displaces activities that are essential for healthy development: Getting plenty of sleep, being physically active, doing schoolwork with focus, spending in-person time with friends, and helping out around the home or community.”
In the news: According to Common Sense Media’s report, The State of Kids and Families in America 2024, Voters believe mental health for young people is in acute crisis, and teens see mental health as their top challenge. Last October, 41 states and the District of Columbia sued Meta alleging Facebook and Instagram were intentionally designed to be addictive in ways that Meta knew were harmful to young people. The Washington Post, also in October 2023, reported that the loss of childhood independence was contributing to the adolescent mental health crisis.
Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist at NYU’s Stern School of Business. He published his latest book, The Anxious Generation, last month after previewing his main ideas in End the Phone-based Childhood Now: The environment in which kids grow up today is hostile to human development in The Atlantic. He acknowledges that many factors influence the mental health of young people, but he doubles-down on the idea that the rise of social media and changes in parenting are the main culprits.
The play-based childhood that most adults had (if you were born before 1990 this is true) has been replaced by today’s phone-based childhood. A phone-based childhood blocks social experiences, sleep, and the ability to maintain attention. All are essential for becoming a healthy and well-adjusted adult.
“Risky” adolescent behavior (pre-marital sex as well as drug and cigarette use) and violent crime like kidnapping has declined significantly across the country. But parents and guardians adopted fear-based approaches to parenting starting in the 1990s, prioritizing safety above all else.
- According to Haidt and Greg Lukianoff the co-author of his previous book, The Coddling of the American Mind, this approach is called safetyism which “refers to a culture or belief system in which safety has become a sacred value, which means that people become unwilling to make trade-offs demanded by other practical and moral concerns.”
- Haidt believes that we are so busy making kids safe in the real world (in ways that are unhelpful to their development) and we have mostly neglected attempts to make them safe in the digital world. The result is fragile kids and young adults.
The evidence: Haidt, Jean Twenge (San Diego State University), and Zach Rausch (New York University, Stern School) have been openly publishing and updating Adolescent mood disorders since 2010: A collaborative review for all to see.
- 2012 - the year Haidt asserts that the Teen Mental Illness Epidemic began.
- 3 - the number of years after the introduction of the iPhone it took for adolescent mental health to start declining.
- 50% - the percentage rise in depression and anxiety from 2010-2019, with the most staggering increases among adolescent girls.
What can we do? Haidt makes four recommendations for parents, guardians, schools, and lawmakers:
- No internet connected “smart” phones before high school.
- No social media before age 16.
- Schools should be phone-free.
- Ensure kids get much more independence and free play.
Reality check: These suggestions are controversial and represent what Haidt calls a “collective action problem.” Let’s spend the next few weeks exploring this together.
See you next time!
Scott McLarty
Head of School