Debate over the Impact of Smartphones on Young People's Mental Health

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Smartphones,Mental Health,Young People

A new book by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has sparked a heated debate among academics regarding the effects of smartphone usage on the mental health of young people. Haidt argues that the prevalence of smartphones is causing a 'great rewiring of childhood' and contributing to a 'mental illness epidemic.' He proposes several measures to address this issue, including delaying smartphone use until high school, restricting social media access until age 16, banning phones in schools, and promoting real-world play and independence. Haidt refers to smartphones as 'experience blockers' that consume children's time and hinder their real-world experiences.

A new book has embroiled the academic community in a heated debate over whether spending time on smartphones affects young people ’s mental health and, if so, how. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s “The Anxious Generation,” published last week, argues that the smartphone-driven “great rewiring of childhood” is causing an “epidemic of mental illness.

” He suggests four ways to combat this: no smartphones before high school, no social media before age 16, no phones in schools; and prioritizing real-world play and independence. “I call smartphones ‘experience blockers,’ because once you give the phone to a child, it’s going to take up every moment that is not nailed down to something else,” Haidt told TODAY.com, adding, “It’s basically the loss of childhood in the real world.” Phones and social media have become a ubiquitous part of everyday life

Source: Education Headlines (educationheadlines.net)

Smartphones Mental Health Young People Debate Social Media Childhood Epidemic Real-World Play Independence

 

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