No, the kids are NOT alright. And as our future depends on them, we have to do something about it.
This week the US surgeon general, Dr Vivek Murthy, did democracy a great favour by stating what surely must have been obvious to literally everyone for some time: social media is negatively affecting the mental health of teens.
Murthy’s comments signal that the fears expressed in the Atlantic’s blockbuster 2017 report that asks “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?” have come true. Western teenagers are spending nearly five hours a day on social media on average and a third were staying up until midnight on week nights on their devices, Murthy said. Is it a coincidence then that the recent world happiness report found that young people in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are now the unhappiest age group in their communities? Have a look at the nearest teen’s phone and consider the relentless barrage of precision-targeted consumer manipulation, platformed bullying, gross sensationalism and naked propaganda they’re exposed to and form your own view.
Adults can barely cope with this stuff;........