There’s been a shift in how teenagers hang out, and you can hear it: the chatter that used to buzz through a high school cafeteria has often morphed into silent scrolling on smartphone screens, punctuated by tiny pings as teens message each other through their social media apps. The isolation many teenagers have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic has made social media even more critical to how they sustain their relationships with each other. Yet there are questions about the long-term health consequences of social media and smartphones on teenagers. In this July 31, 2021 essay, Jonathan Haidt and Jean M. Twenge explain their research about the connection among smartphones, social media, and the mental health of teenagers, both in the US and across the globe.
- Haidt and Twenge include a graph in their essay as one piece of evidence to support their argument that smartphones and social media lead to mental health issues among teenagers. Look at this graph. What information does it give? Where did this information come from? What conclusions can you draw from this graph? Why do you think Haidt and Twenge chose to include this graph in their essay instead of summarizing the information in a paragraph?
- In their essay, Haidt and Twenge introduce and respond to naysayer arguments. Locate one place where they do this and explain the naysayer argument. What strategies from Chapter 6 do you see Haidt and Twenge using to introduce the naysayer argument fairly and accurately, offer concessions, and respond to the counterargument? How would you describe the tone they use when integrating and responding to naysayer arguments in their essay?
- Haidt and Twenge suggest that girls are particularly vulnerable to the negative mental health consequences of social media use. What evidence do they give to support this claim? Do you agree, disagree, or both with this claim? Why? Respond to this claim using a template from Chapter 4. You might consider how other aspects of a teenager’s identity, such as race, sexuality, or disability, could influence how they use social media and smartphones.
- Haidt and Twenge contend that the consequences of social media and smartphones go beyond their effects on individual teenagers, arguing that “the smartphone brought about a planetary rewiring of human interaction.” According to Haidt and Twenge, how have social media and smartphones affected the relationships teenagers have with each other and with their families? What are the two solutions Haidt and Twenge suggest for reducing the extent to which teenagers rely on social media and smartphones? Who do you think should be intervening to prevent the mental health issues teenagers face from smartphones and social media? Why?
They Say I Blog 
Haidt and Twenge contend that the consequese of social media and smartphones go beyond their effects on individual teenagers arguing that the smartphone brought about a planetary retiring of human interaction.
I agree that smartphones have an effect on how teenagers interact because us being humans are meant to have person on person interaction this is wa way we thrive. However our smartphones as well can help us keep in touch and up with those that are hard to have in person relationships with. With this being said Haidt and Twenges idea of reducing the extent of reliance of theses devices can help avoid long term mental health consequences that come from depriving ourselves from human interaction.
LikeLike
I agree wtith Haidt and Twenges’s theory that girls are particularly vulnerable to the negative mental health consequences of social media use because an extensive review of the published research on social media and mental health revealed that teens who consume a lot of social media hub words helped out comes then individual teens who consume little particularly for girls the reasoning behind this is because smart phones and social media doesn’t affect just individuals but groups this reasoning strongly opinionated by the theory of girls and young women feeling more pressure to compare and despair caused by scrolling through posts from all people of all nationalities posting their perfection pictures that have been altered to look more of tea perfect illusion than realistic reality.
LikeLike
I agree With Haidt and Twenges veiw on the theory as far as teenage interaction.Because of the pendemic alot of teenagers have turned to socail media.That can be very harmful for long periods of time because they have nothing real to compaire it to.Friendship has changed forever because of the internet.They no loner see there friends in real life.One way to help with the teenage mindlessness that comes with the internet is to invent a app where parents can control what the teenagers see.I only say that because parents are legal gaurdains untill they are 18.With this being said Haidt and Twenges idea of reducing the extent of reliance of theses devices can help avoid long term mental health problems.
LikeLike
I’m of two minds about Haidt and Twenge’s claim that smartphone usage has caused an epidemic of teenage loneliness. On the one hand, I agree that social media usage can contribute to lowered self-esteem through means of comparison with others, on the other hand, I’m not sure if it has contributed to an outbreak of teenagers feeling lonely. I can see how when a person compares their selves to an infinite amount of people on Instagram, their mental health can plummet, since people constantly edit their photos, post nothing but highlights of their lives, and hide the lowlights. Instagram is not real life. Regarding women especially, is it clear how their self-confidence may decline after comparing their selves to an unending number of images of women that are altered, edited, and distorted in certain ways that do not reflect reality.
I disagree with Haidt and Twenge’s claim that the usage of smartphones contributes to overall teenage loneliness because I don’t believe in the validity of the survey methods used and their methodology of associating it with smartphone usage. They themselves even mentioned that their analyses can not prove that increased social media usage directly correlates with the rise of teenage loneliness. They are just observing trends of questionable, self-reported surveys that conclude there is a “rise” in teenage loneliness and are attributing it to the increase in smartphone and cellphone usage in the past years. In addition, I have lived and went to school throughout the “smartphone era” and have never been in a classroom or space in a school that wasn’t completely occupied with chatter and teens just having fun. Most students that I encountered in my high school days were sociable, made friends easily, and were sometimes more engaged in conversation than anything else. Students would talk before, during, and after class.
Furthermore, the answers they provide to their supposed problem are unrealistic. They want to disallow phones in schools. In some schools, phones are used with learning, through methods like Kahoot, check-in apps, and more. Phones have become a part of our lives whether one likes it or not. Not allowing them in schools would become an infringement of rights, would be very hard to enforce, and would bring up questions of whether it is reasonable at all. Age mandates for social media platforms would be impossible to enforce as well, as many would just lie about their age, and many teens between 13-16 may not even have a form of identification. We must accept that smartphones and social media have become a part of our lives, and will continue to be, we must make the right decisions regarding what we follow, what we see, and what we allow to enter our minds as we scroll through these social media pages.
LikeLike
I completely agree with Haidt and Twenges view on how the teenage interaction has changed. I feel like the is true because the pandemic has change the way they communicate and the channels they use. They consider the friend they have on the internet as someone they can trust or they feel like they have a real connection because they see what they post. This takes a real heavy mental health issue on teens and it can effect them in the long run.
LikeLike
yes I agree with Haidt and Twenges on how the pandemic affects the teenagers their learning style and the time they spent on screens which is true that affects their health and their social status out side the internet.
LikeLike
Hyde And Twenge say that Phones Are A Good Way to get to and from school but they should be locked up during the school Day in order to practice the Ways of communicating with others because when you are on your smartphone you are isolating yourself from others. But phones are also a good thong to do after a long day to look at social media as a reward for doing your work or having a great day and getting the stuff done on your to-do list for the day
in Conclusion Phones Are good And bad Phones are good for transport as a safety device and to get to ( )but phones can also be bad because they can be addicting if you let it control you so you should have a little bit of time at the end of the day but just enough so you get time but not get attached to it
LikeLike
I agree with Haidt and Twenges. Because of the pandemic, teenagers were separated from their friends. They need to share their lives and feelings so they may form the habit of relying on the Internet. After the pandemic they may still prefer to talk online, but offline activities are the same important.
LikeLike
Haidt and Twenges state their naysayers by identifying a generalized group of people: “some experts.” The naysayers’ argument is that claim that social media is harming teens is just another moral panic. After all, people thought the same thing about the arrival of video games, TV, and even…wait for it… comic books! And if the smartphone has been introduced in many different countries, why wouldn’t there also be the same issue in these areas? Why hasn’t there been data gathered on the affects of social media on teens in these other countries? The overall tone used to introduce these naysayers is fair and straightforward. There are no hinted signs of mockery or disapproval from the authors on this opposing point of view.
LikeLike
The teacher asked us to comment, so I can only say that I agree with with Haidt and Twenges.
LikeLike
复制重了。。多了个with
LikeLike
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooononononononononnonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
LikeLike
I agree with them that the Internet can not only help people in special times, but also a very efficient productivity tool. However, nowadays, people’s negative evaluation of the Internet is more than positive, which is what people need to pay attention to. People can’t ignore the benefits of the Internet.
LikeLike
I agree with Haidt and Twenges about how teens’ social method has changed but I disagree how this would harm the teen’s mental health. Take myself as an example, during the pandemic, most of my social interaction is online. I will be more lonely if I can’t use internet to connect with my friends. And to be honest, real friends won’t abandon you if you want to talk to them offline. Either way is fine.
LikeLike
I agree with the idea that the COVIC-19 has impact the mental health of the Gen Z. Take me as the example, I was in the U.S. for the high school study before the pandemic. However, I was forced to back to China for the safety concern. In the main case, I do not have any friends in China, and my classmates are separated in different city. I was both lonely and under the stress of senior year.
LikeLike
I agree with Handsome Boy’s opinion.
LikeLike
Jonathan Haidt and Jean M. Twenge pointed out that the smartphone can interrupt people from the face to face conversation and I totally agree. By look back to my high school life, we created a lot of activities together and it provided a great relationship, somehow, with smartphone or social media not able to create those kind of friendship since we not even know what exactly true with that person. In sum, we may have a bunch of people in there, but still feel lonely in the real life.
LikeLike
I agree with the author, phone use can distort the use of face to face conversation but it also helps kids who are not as good with face to face conversations socialize, also understanding that covid 19 may and does actually play a role into socialization issues after pretty much being isolated from society for half a year and more. I havent really looked at phone us this way, but it was an eye opener.
LikeLike
I agree with the author, phone use can distort the use of face to face conversation but it also helps kids who are not as good with face to face conversations socialize, also understanding that covid 19 may and does actually play a role into socialization issues after pretty much being isolated from society for half a year and more. I havent really looked at phone us this way, but it was an eye opener.
LikeLike
Smartphones have changed the world. A quick glance around any street or communal space shows how dominant our favourite digital devices have become.
We are familiar with the sight of groups of teenagers not talking, but eagerly composing messages and posts on their screens. Or seeing couples dining silently in restaurants, ignoring the romantic flickering candle in favour of the comforting blue light of their phones.
Attempts have been made to come up with rules of phone etiquette during face-to-face interactions. But why do these devices that are meant to connect us when we’re far apart seem to cause so much division when we’re close together
LikeLike
The authors of this article claim that girls are particularly vulnerable to these mental health conditions, like depression, suicide, loneliness, and self-harm, as a result of social media. They support this claim by stating that females “compare and despair” by scrolling through pictures that have been heavily edited. Many images online are of girls with very small bodies, and specific facial features that have been glamourized by society. Upon seeing these images, there is a strong pressure felt to reach these standards. Girls feel less valuable and important if they do not look like the girls they see online. With this, poor self-esteem and body image develops. Girls will alter their diets and daily routines in ways that are dangerous, in attempt to look a certain way. The rates in which girls experience eating disorders are unfortunately on the rise. This is a direct product of social media, as claimed by the authors. I agree with this strongly. Many girls I know personally have developed a negative sense of self, due to social media and the images portrayed. There is great pressure and tension for females to appear a specific way, this image is false and extreme. The rates for the incline of social media and negative mental health are parallel. It is quite evident that the two are unfortunately coordinated.
LikeLike
I do agree with the authors about how the younger generation communicates. During quarantine, the only way to communicate with people outside your house is with your phone. Causing teenagers to get addicted to their devices. Social media is making false expectations that teenagers feel they have been and altering how they live their lives. For example, KC brought up about females altering their diets to try to achieve what they see on social media. These actions are physically harmful to them, and it is wrong for them to feel they have to change what they look like based on what they see on social media.
Teenagers want to spend more time on their phones rather than with their own families. The effect of this is not suitable for having good relationships with their parents.
LikeLike
The article that I have chosen shows the impact that smartphones have on the mental health of teenagers, and it shows the shift that smartphones and social media have created in social settings. Smartphones have had unexpected effects on teenagers worldwide, “by 2019, just before the pandemic, rates of depression among adolescents had nearly doubled.” It is impossible to root the cause of this to smartphone use directly, but everyone has felt the effects, whether you know it or not. Due to students being consumed by social media and their smartphones, it has become harder to strike up a conversation with a peer you have not yet met, leading to loneliness and anxiety in students. Also, with the addition of the like button that has found its way to almost every social media platform, teenagers feel the need to get likes to feel validation. This leads to young women, in particular, comparing themselves to photos of women edited to perfection. Before social media became such a craze, making new friends was not so complex or challenging. There also was not such a desire for insignificant validation from others.
LikeLike
My name if jeff
LikeLike
According to Haidt and Jean’s research, this article explains how smartphones can affect teenagers’ mental health. It argues that smartphones have changed interaction with individuals. I agree with Haidt and Jean’s claim that smartphones can interrupt face- to-face conversation with individuals. People tend to be busy on their smartphone rather than talking in-person with those around them. During Covid-19, smartphones were needed to stay in touch with your families and friends. They served an important role in remote working and distance learning as well. They helped everyone connect with their loved ones regardless of the distance through facetime, text messages and social media. I believe smartphones not only have a negative impact but can also serve a positive purpose in an individual’s life. It depends on how a smartphone is used. The purpose you use the smartphone device for determines its negative or positive affect. As a teenager myself, I believe smartphones are a part of our daily life. If we don’t have phones, it feels incomplete. It makes our lives much easier and through smartphones we are able to entertain ourselves with social media. However, an important factor to using an electronic device should be time management. Smartphones should be a helpful element in your life rather than becoming an addiction. You should be able to limit your screen time as well as give time to your priorities before anything else.. It wouldn’t hurt your soul to be away from your phone and focusing on your social life.
LikeLike
Joshua C Kotula’s point caught my attention as he describes both points of view on the use of smartphones and how they have revolutionized current times. It has made it a struggle for teenagers to talk to one another in person but has helped other students to communicate as they may be facing issues of their own, for example, anxiety. The authors, Jonathan Haidt and Jean M. Twenge, state, “Loneliness is certainly not the same as depression, but the two are correlated…,” which leaves me to think that anxiety can stem from depression or loneliness. For example, a kid can have anxiety because they are always alone, due to all the other kids at school being on their phones. It then creates an environment where students feel that they would be judged by others, on social media. This makes communication lack even more at home, school, or any environment teenagers are present. This would then lead to students being on their phones more and lead teenagers right into the trap of the 21st century, the smartphone.
LikeLike
Haidt and Twenge not only express their concerns about the negative effects of social media on teenagers in Gen Z, but they also explain how we are putting our basic human interaction skills at risk of extinction. Especially through the Covid-19 outbreak, teens have turned to social media to interact with people, stay updated on what’s going on in society, and because they are bored in general and have nothing else to do. This increased use of social media leads to teens feeling isolated and lonely because living life and socializing through a smartphone is simply no substitution for in-person socializing. These negative effects could effects Gen Z in the long run, for example, in five or ten years from now when these teens have full-time jobs and are being interviewed for new careers, social skills and communication are key, without these skills nobody will want to hire them, and they will have issues finding a career that suits them well. Social media and smartphones are incredible tools, however, just like anything else, too much time spent on social media will eventually take its negative effects on us.
LikeLike
I agree with Haidt and Twenge’s statement on how teenage girls are more vulnerable to experiencing the mental health consequences that come with using social media. What we see on social media is not real life. Often times, teenage girls will only post the highlights of their lives and hide the negative parts of them. Other girls will see what looks like the perfect life and compare their own lives to it. This can have a large effect on their mental health and decrease their confidence. As mentioned in the article, social media invites girls to compare and despair, leading to depression, isolation, and loneliness. The bodies that girls are jealous of over social media are most likely edited and re-edited multiple times in order to bring them closer to perfection over reality. What girls don’t realize, is that everyone has imperfections. Most likely, the things that we feel most insecure about, someone else views them as what makes us the most beautiful. Since 2012, the rates of teenage self-harm and depression only have risen sharply. I do believe this has a correlation with the fact that in 2015, two thirds of teens owned a smartphone. Owning a smartphone became normal for teenagers and was no longer an option. Since more people owned cell phones and used social media, teenage loneliness in schools has risen, as shown in the graph featured in the article. Teenagers lost communication skills and the COVID-19 Pandemic has only made this worse. It is apparent today that people are not used to communicating in person anymore and rely on their phones to reach out to people. Because of this, teenagers are lonelier than ever, as they don’t know how to involve themselves and communicate with others. I have plenty of personal experiences with this issue and am guilty of sticking to my phone when around other people that I may not know, especially in school. I find that people rely on their phones when they are in uncomfortable situations, instead of forcing themselves to deal with any issues. The authors present ways to limit the use of smartphones, such as taking them away for a period of time during the day to allow teens to focus on school. However, I agree with Mark’s statement above regarding the fact that these suggestions are unrealistic since most schools encourage the use of phones to aid in learning. People can limit their own personal use of phones but unfortunately, there will never be a way to stop social media from having negative effects on society. Although social media and smartphones, are seen as a safe place for a lot of people, I do agree that it is damaging to one’s mental health and has a big effect on teenagers, as they are still growing and are heavily influenced by others thoughts and opinions.
LikeLike
Is there an epidemic of loneliness among teenagers? That’s the question that acclaimed social psychologist Jonathan Haidt and bestselling author Jean M. Twenge posed in a recent article for the New York Times. The duo argued that the constant connectivity offered by smartphones has replaced meaningful, in-person interactions and created a generation of young people who are less experienced in navigating the complications of face-to-face relationships.
The article then goes on to explain how smartphones have changed the way that teenagers interact with each other. While it is clear that social media can be a great way to keep in touch with faraway friends, it is also true that many young people use their phones to avoid face-to-face interactions. Social media allows people to avoid the risks and awkwardness that can come with meeting new people.
For example, I often find myself too busy on my phone to have a conversation with the people around me. I’m sure that many of us have been in a situation where we are all together, but everyone is too busy on their phones to talk to each other.
However, during Covid-19, smartphones were needed to stay in touch with your families and friends. They served an important role in remote working and distance learning as well as helped everyone connect with each other, even when they were apart.
The isolation that many teenagers have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic has made social media even more critical to how they sustain their relationships with each other. Without smartphones, it would be impossible for teenagers to maintain their relationships with their friends and family members who are far away or unable to meet up in person. Social media allows them to feel like they are still close even when they are physically apart.
I do agree with Alvia where they stated that smartphones not only have a negative impact, but also serve as a positive purpose in an individual’s everyday life.
LikeLike
In the article I have chosen the authors talk about how the use of smartphones and social media has changed how people interact with each other. They also argue the point that this can affect long term relationships for younger generations.
I agree that since the pandemic teenagers spend a majority of their time on social media , or on their phones in general. Being that there was a period of time during the pandemic that no one was allowed to see each other. Social media and texting was our only way of feeling like there was something normal happening. But there has been a point I have noticed no one talking to each other just sitting there in silence. This has made teens’ social skills decline. In the essay written by Haidt and Twenge they talked about how girls are particularly vulnerable to the negative mental health consequences of social media use. I can say first hand being a teenage girl social media can have a negative impact mentally. On social media they encourage you to look a certain way to be socially acceptable. It can be hard and confusing for girls that are still growing into their bodies to be told this is how you should look or act.
LikeLike
I agree that the epidemic has created teenage loneliness. Most teenagers are use to being at school or doing activities with other teenagers most of their time that they are not home as much. To stop everything overnight not planning to ever step back outside your home was a shock to the fast moving world. There is a big percentage of teenager how did not know how to be alone or how to talk but to their classmates. That is where the next phase of just texting, social media, and video chat. They had to learn how to grow up, discover who they are from the heart of their bedroom. As Aliva has stated about Haidt and Jean’s research on smartphone taking effect on teenage. I agree, but disagree as the past there was a study done on video gamers. Those teenagers there is now adults who have made breakthrough in medical science, advance engineering, better technology, or even made tools to help with hand eye coordination. Come to think of us, even us as adults are on our phones just as much. It a way to feel connect to the world as we cannot physically do half of the time.
LikeLike
I really like Haidt and Twenge point about social media, particularly Instagram influencing young women. It does have an effect on them. I do agree and would add, young girls compare themselves to others, because they still don’t have a sense of self. Comparing themselves to people on social media and trying to achieve unrealistic goals because Instagram is full of filter photos could lead to low self-esteem. Though I agree with Haidt and Twenge on some points, I don’t agree that young people are lonelier. Though it may be true that a lot of us shouldn’t spend so much time on our phones, having it during COVID allowed us to interact with each others without contact. I know if my daughter had not had her phone during the pandemic, she would have probably been depressed due to not having anyone to talk to. It can be lonelier not having anyone. The phone and social media became an outlet for a lot of young people stuck at home.
LikeLike
Haidt and twenages argue about how the phone affects mental health during the covid-19 pandemic.
My point is that smartphones have changed interaction with individuals. But I cannot deny the importance of smartphones in my life because it is an important way of communication.
Smartphones not only have a negative impact but can also serve a positive purpose in an individual’s life. It depends on how a smartphone is used. It should not be used all day for teenagers, parents need to Paye attention to the use of smartphones.
LikeLike
I also agree with Haidt and Jeans content. Today smartphones flat screen tv’s and laptops are the new normal. Most teens today would rather sit and scroll on their phone than sit and have a conversation face to face with each other. I believe the pandemic was the ice breaker to social media being the most popular event today. Covid-19 was the start of social media being the biggest part of our lives and it happened for so long that it’s something most people don’t even think about anymore. Smartphones are now teenagers comfort zone and how they express themselves and connect with others.
LikeLike
I agree with Haidt and Twenge’s claim that girls are vulnerable to negative mental health consequences from social media use. The evidence they give for this claim is that girls and young women experienced envy of the lives of others on the internet, even though those lives had been extremely edited. I agree with the claim, because women are more prone to comparing themselves to others and can pit themselves into loneliness because of this comparison. While not all girls use social media as intensely as others, the effect is still there because of outside sources such as advertisements.
LikeLike
The authors claim that smartphones are much harsher towards girls. Haidt and Twenge say, it “invited them to compare and despair as they scrolled through post from friends and strangers showing faces, bodies and lives that have been edited…”. After doing extensive review of published research on social media, the authors came to the conclusion that those who consume a lot of social media have worse outcomes than those who consume little, especially for girls. I agree with this statement, as seeing the fake bodies online can create a false expectation of what we, as women, are supposed to look like. It can cause us to question ourselves and our body, and wish we were just like the ones that we see. I enjoyed Haidt and Twenge’s point about how they will edit their pictures until they, “were closer to perfection than to reality”. I may add that some influencers post about their celebrity lives, and show that their social life may be better than anyone else. This can also have an impact on females, as most have the urge to “fit in”, and conform to the social norms of today’s society.
LikeLike
Haidt and Twenge respond to their naysayers by stating that one powerful argument made by skeptics is that “The smartphones was adopted in many countries around the world at approximately the same time, so why aren’t teens in all of these countries experiencing more mental health issues the way Americans have been? Where’s the evidence for that”. The naysayer argument questions the plausibility of the claim that social media has a correlation to mental health issues and asks for evidence for these claims. The argument uses strategies from Chapter 6 by representing and entertaining the objections fairly. The two address that it is a difficult question to answer because there is no global survey before 2012, but then claiming that PISA has surveyed 15-year-old in multiple countries. The results of the study depicted that teenage loneliness rose dramatically in the six years after 2012. The tone they use is respectful and informative to their naysayer by addressing that their claims are logical and then explaining their study and the results they found and published in their own paper.
LikeLike
I agree that most teenage girls that have access to social media use tend to develop a decline in their mental health status. The major application that brings on these negative consequences is Instagram, which started rising to popularity around 2012. It gave teenage girls and young women the opportunity to “compare and despair” over posts that their friends, or even strangers, posted online for anyone and everyone to see (Haidt and Twenge 2021). Jonathan Haidt and Jean Twenge, psychologists studying social media effects, have come to believe that social media brings long term negative effects onto younger women since all they see online is bodies, faces, and everyday lives edited to the point that they look completely flawless than looking like a reality. An example of this would be teeangers developing body issues and doing whatever it takes to achieve a smaller waist, which has come to be the norm in modern society. The evidence accurately backs up the claim of young women and girls being largely affected by social media, which supports my agreement along with the claim more than before.
References:
Haidt, Jonathan, and Jean Twenge. “Opinion | This Is Our Chance to Pull Teenagers Out of the Smartphone Trap.” The New York Times, 25 Aug. 2021, http://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/31/opinion/smartphone-iphone-social-media-isolation.html.
LikeLike
They write a simple objection, and answer it as quickly as they can with their own study, though they do not write the objection formally. The tone for responding to the naysayers is answering a question that you where expecting to a friend.
LikeLike
I agree with Haidt and Twenge’s claim on how smartphones are negatively impacting teenagers from Gen Z. It is of no surprise that social media and the advancement of technology have many positives, but on the other hand, also have many accompanying negatives. Social media and smartphone usage has begun to take over many people’s lives. I certainly agree that one negative side effect of increased smartphone usage would be the decreased social skills among individuals. Since individuals from Gen Z often communicate through smartphones, face-to-face contact has dwindled over the past decade. This social skill is crucial as communicating with others will play a huge part in one’s life. An example of the need for satisfactory communication skills would be job or college interviews. If one does not know how to present oneself or speak in a compelling way, then the person may not achieve much in life. This is why in-person teenage interactions, not via screens, must be retained as social skills are beneficial for the future. Additionally, teenagers may start to feel isolated and have low self-esteem due to the increased usage of smartphones. Not only will this take a toll on communication skills, but one’s health will also suffer. Teenagers’ eyesight will start to worsen as well as their physical well-being. An increased amount of smartphone usage is linked to a decreased amount of physical exercise. Previously attending high school, it is evident that smartphones and social media have taken over as everyone is always looking down on their phones and not engaging in verbal conversations. I also agree that the COVID-19 pandemic has only made matters worse. Due to the mandatory lockdown, the majority of the population turned to their screens in order to keep themselves entertained. If society keeps up this trend of predominantly communicating through devices, crucial social skills will be lost.
LikeLike
I agree with Haidt and Twenge’s views on how much of an influence phones have on teenage loneliness and directly affects the way teenagers feel about themselves.During the Pandemic those kids that were in the most vital age to learn how to socialize were robbed of this opportunity.We also live in generation that because of social media kids aren’t really allowed to be kids anymore.because of cellphones and social media kids are being exposed to so many trends and false standards which which directly affects their idea of being a kid, specifically little girls.I disagree with the user Mark since he goes on to say that cellphones do not have a direct relationship with teenage loneliness because after all most people should be aware that the pictures posted on social media are edited and simply not real.I think that Mark fails to take into account that there are little kids being exposed to these posts which may affect the way they feel about themselves.Little kids are very gullible and sometimes they don’t have parents to teach them that whatever they may see on social media is simply false.To assume that all kids are mature enough to not let themselves be influenced by these creators would be extremely ignorant since after all a lot of these people create content to influence people.He also goes on to say that cellphones don’t really have much of an effect on how kids socialize in schools.He spoke from personal experience but he certainly forgot to take into consideration those kids who were robbed of any socialization due to covid. Kids learned to take comfort in their cellphones and what they knew and even when we were back in school we couldn’t even stand next to each other and have a regular conversation. He also mentions that phones in schools should not be disallowed because of how essential they are to education. Mark seems to fail to understand that cellphones are certainly not essential because in plenty of cases most kids don’t even have a cellphone in the first place.some kids simply can’t afford it or they have parents who won’t allow them to.If these kids attend a public school then they should be provided with all of the resources they need.as someone who went to a school that wasn’t exactly luxurious i can definitely say that the district provided the means necessary to succeed, it is simply a matter of reaching out and of course making it known that these resources are there for them.And i can acknowledge that there are schools who lack resources but we can all accept that a personal item like a cell phone isnt an essential for anyone’s education.I certainly agree with Haidt and Twenge’s view because as a teenager I think they managed to capture what a lot of teenagers like myself may have felt or still feel because of cellphones and social media.
LikeLike
Haidt and Twenge claim that there has been a negative alternation in teenage interactions by the use of phones. Mental health has been a serious growing concern for teens. In most cases, it has been due to excessive use of social media. Mental health issues at a young age can severely affect one’s well-being in the long run. The author’s mention how the Covid-19 pandemic played a part in boosting social media usage. I agree with this because during quarantine, a social media platform known as TikTok became more popular. Out of pure boredom, people became attached to the variety of content TikTok shared to them through people all over the world. Since then, there has been a spike in depression and loneliness rates. This indicates that social media does influence teenagers who use it often. I believe social media has a toll on teenagers because when they view other people living the life they want to or doing something they think is fun, they begin to think negatively of their own life. In the article, Haidt and Twenge claim that all types of relationships have been transformed, including family relationships, friend relationships, acquaintance relationships, and more. The factor that plays a big role in doing this is believed to be smartphones. I do think it is a wise idea to hold back social media and smartphones from children until they come towards the end of middle school. Once they reach this point around 12 years old, they no longer heavily rely on electronics for entertainment. This is because they will be used to finding other sources of entertainment, like board games or sports. To conclude, I agree with the claims both authors have made throughout this article about how smartphones have started to negatively affect the well-being of America’s teens.
LikeLike
This article shows that teenagers mental health is changing due to the increase in phone usage and technology usage.
LikeLike
Qwerty states that they disagree with Haidt and Twenge’s conclusion that social media has negatively affected the mental health of teenagers, using themself during the pandemic as an example. Qwerty says that they were able to connect to their friends at a time when face-to-face interaction was not possible. Although I agree that social media was helpful during the pandemic when it came to staying connected with friends, I disagree with their views on social media’s impact on mental health. As someone who has seen and experienced firsthand just how addictive social media can be, there have been moments where I mindlessly scroll for hours, not because I want to or because I enjoy it, but because I cannot stop. Teens now have started using platforms like Tik Tok and Instagram to prevent feeling anything, using it as an escape method to numb their feelings. In the process, however, teens like me are overwhelming their brains with content to the point that they cannot think for themselves. Haidt and Twenge explain that the lack of connection due to social media has caused Gen Z’s social skills to become obsolete. I agree with this, but feel that the problem is not as surface level as a lack of socialization. In a time where we are constantly being bombarded with the next trend, the next beauty standard, the next product, it is impossible to simply exist and be grounded. Because of this, depression and anxiety rates have never been higher. Conducted studies have shown that phone addictions could be just as strong as an addiction to drugs or alcohol. This comes with withdrawal symptoms when teens are away from their phones for too long- irritability, lack of focus, and, like Haidt and Twenge have said, an inability to connect with people in real life.
LikeLike
I find this article very interesting since I am in this generation and I have an insight into what goes on in schools today. There is no doubt that COVID-19 had a negative effect on most of our generation after nearly 18 months of social distancing and remote schooling. We have gotten so used to relying on our devices for so many things. In the article, it talks about getting this generation to switch back to old-fashioned, in-person socializing like it used to be. Personally, I would love to switch back since COVID was a really negative time in my life, as it showed me the bad effects of technology instead of the positive ones. All I wanted to do was see my friends and distant family and it just wasn’t the same over Facetime. It also showed me that I would never want to work from home. I completely agree with what Vyctur Lamb said above. Friendships really did change forever and so did the way people interact with each other, even the smallest things. I also agree with the idea that reducing reliance on these devices can help avoid some long-term mental health problems. Technology is like an addictive drug that is not good for the body or the brain and does not have good long-term effects. I do not agree with what Vyctur said about an app where parents can spy on teenagers online. No matter what the parents do to prevent their children from technology, they will always find a way to go on since it surrounds us these days. Providing knowledge to them about the harmful aspects of technology starts in the schools. Hopefully, we can get the next generation to rely less on these devices, yet so far it looks like quite the opposite.
LikeLike
In the article “This is Our Chance to Pull Teenagers Out of the Smartphone Trap” by Jonathan Haidt and Jean M, the authors talk about how smartphones and social media have affected teens at a young age. While growing up in the time period of young kids having smartphones I can agree with this. Growing up as a young girl with social media definitely ruins all confidence, privacy, and connections with people. These effects are very long term because it is something young girls have surrounding them while they grow up, they are implemented at such a young age it is all that is known. I do agree that the pandemic created teenage loneliness, but I also think that the loneliness caused by social media existed already. The pandemic is when social media was everyone’s main source of communication and even years after it still is. Coming out of the pandemic many teens had to relearn how to socialize with others their age which could cause a lot of anxiety or stress. This ruined a lot of teens’ confidence and mental health. Social media is a confidence crusher as it is due to the beauty standards young girls have shoved in their faces. In the article it says “inviting them to “compare and despair” as they scrolled through posts from friends and strangers showing faces, bodies…” (Haidt). This is what kills many young teens’ confidence and there’s no escaping it when being on social media. No amount of limiting social media will fix the damage it has already done to teens, but moving forward with teens starting to use it it would be beneficial to limit the time they spend on it.
LikeLike