MY TURN: Internet, social media and smart phones are hurting our kids

My letter is inspired by Debbie Critchfield's Dec. 20 letter and the follow-up Press editorial. As a mother of young Gen Zers, this topic occupies my mind regularly. As a young Gen Xer, I am part of the last generation to know a childhood without the pressure of social media and the constant inundation and temptation of the internet and smartphone.

Stats mentioned in the original letters are discussed in excellent books, including "The Coddling of the American Mind" and "iGen." Increasing rates of teen depression and anxiety around 2010 strongly correlate with skyrocketing use of social media. A recent article by Jonathan Haidt in the Free Press reanalyzes the data and claims that the mental health trend started even earlier for boys. In the '70s the economy began shifting away from manufacturing, and boys began a retreat from the world through video games and computers.

According to these sources, kids are growing up slower and reaching life milestones later. The data shows that kids are, instead, sitting at home on the phone. Author Lenore Skenazy suggests that by giving kids a digital leash we have robbed them of crucial independence. We are asking less of and expecting less of the younger generation.

We also don't need to look far to see a family out for a meal disengaged from each other as they instead look at their phones. Or observe teens in the crosswalk staring at a screen instead of waving to the stopped car. We may be more effective at stepping up to combat the mental health crisis if we can work to look for the root causes and have open discussions about them.

Let's also admit that many adults have a tech addiction and need to set a better example. I'm hoping to encourage other parents in the same life stage to join me in delaying phones, social media, etc., from our children's lives. The harms seem to far outweigh any perceived benefit. Let's not let the phone replace the family.

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Lauren Shafer is a Post Falls resident.