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.
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