Do Social Media and Phones Hurt Teens, OR NOT? A different view

This article

argues that Jonathan Haidt's and Jean Twenge's work is extreme in its placing blame for teen mental health problems on social media and phones.

She focuses on the methodology of the studies, in somewhat narrow ways. All studies have flaws if you are looking for them; that is the nature of social sciences research and why every journal article ends with "we need more research." ("Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" says II Timothy 3:7.)

She doesn't address the question of why mental health is so much worse now than twenty, even fifteen years ago. 

The phones themselves would not have done this without social media, and social media would not have blossomed without the phones. And of course there is not direct causation in every instance. But my students know they spend too much time on their phones, and they feel guilt about their addiction.  And perhaps they should. They are not outside, not with friends, not studying, not being healthy young people.  

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