From The Huffington Post:
In her popular article, Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?, Jean M. Twenge refers to the “iGen”—-those born between 1995 and 2012 that have been shaped by smartphones and social media. She says that while this generation might be physically safer than adolescents have ever been (because they’re “more comfortable online than out partying”), they are “on the brink of a mental health crisis.” She adds that the research says, “The more time teens spend looking at screens, the more likely they are to report symptoms of depression.”
As a licensed psychotherapist with over 20 years experience and as a mother of two iGen kids, I share these concerns about the impact of technology on adolescents’ psychosocial development. I worry that the overuse of technology has caused kids to become disconnected with themselves, one another, and the world around them—-putting them at higher risk for anxiety, depression and suicide.