I've already engaged in a number of stimulating discussions around the thought-provoking Atlantic piece "Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?" by psychologist Jean M. Twinge. People appear to respond to it strongly, whether with skepticism, rage, or sorrowful agreement. According to her study, there is a direct link between the prevalence of cellphones and social media and the increased levels of anxiety, sadness, and suicide risk experienced by today's teens. I am at the very top of the generation she refers to as "iGen," which has grown up with this technology, at the age of 21. I am a young member of the Millennial generation, however, and I didn't get a smartphone until my freshman year of college. Recent enough for me to be a teenager to read the story from a "young person's" viewpoint.

The association between social media use and depression/social isolation didn't surprise me in the least since I, too, have sometimes been compulsively attached to my smartphone and have felt lonely as a result of constantly comparing myself to others on social media. It is crucial to do this kind of study and to make it broadly available in order to start conversations about how quickly advancing technology affects our mental health. However, there are still unanswered problems, such as what action should be taken in light of these results and how to handle discussions about them, particularly with young people.

Twinge’s essay falls short in answering these concerns mostly due to a lack of respect for adolescents as independent, if not fully formed, persons and a lack of comprehension of the role that social media and cellphones play in their lives. I was therefore uneasy and protective after reading it on behalf of preteens and teenagers. I firmly believe that Twinge’s final "solution"—delaying your children's smartphone purchases and limiting their smartphone use as much as you can—will not solve our problems. Teenagers will soon be adults who must manage their connection with technology and social media, and smartphones aren't going anywhere. Why wait much longer?

Twinge notes that many of the teenagers she has spoken to seem to be aware of the detrimental consequences their use of social media has on them and that she does appreciate young people's viewpoints. So now we need to change the direction of the conversation: rather than asking ourselves why adolescents are using social media so much and talking about how bad it is for them, parents and kids alike need to learn to establish limits and utilize cellphones in a more positive manner. This is not going to happen as long as we continue to speak and write about teens as if they were non-autonomous, illogical entities rather than as human beings who are susceptible to peer pressure and addictive behavior like everyone else.

Respect Teens and Social Media's Function

Researchers need to acknowledge and appreciate the vital functions that social media play in young people's social lives—some of which are often ignored—instead of considering it as a peer-pressured compulsion. We had a Facebook group for each AP class while I was in high school, and we utilized it not just to sympathize with one another but also to double-check deadlines and delineate assignments. Important news from my high school's theatre company were posted to our Facebook page, and my classmates and I also utilized private groups to coordinate preparations. Although I don't typically see this topic covered in social media research, for many individuals I know, Facebook's private group feature is the most crucial one. Tagging friends in memes and videos has grown in popularity more lately and is now a common way for people to connect, communicate, and have fun. If you haven't seen the meme everyone is talking about, you're behind the times.

A comparison may be made between abstinence-only sex education and taking a preventive approach to adolescent social media use. Teens will engage in sexual activity and utilize social media, despite the dangers associated with both. Similar to telling teens to avoid sex, urging them to completely cut out social media shows a lack of nuanced understanding of the significant role that social media plays in teens' lives. It also undervalues teens' capacity to set boundaries and make healthy decisions, and will never result in a workable solution.

Although teens are not yet fully grown adults, they are on their way there. I've always found it puzzling how folks suddenly expect 18-year-olds to become independent when they aren't often given the opportunity to demonstrate maturity and capacity as teens. Twinge observes that youth nowadays are "growing up more slowly" than previous generations were; the subtitle of her next book asserts that members of the iGen are "completely unprepared for adulthood." Even though I instinctively disagree with such generalizations for an entire generation, Twinge’s acknowledgment of this alleged immaturity issue appears at odds with her suggestion that parents limit their children's smartphone use. She suggested using applications that "allow parents to restrict the number of hours a day that teens are on the smartphone, as well as what time of day they use it" on NPR's All Things Considered. The development of teenagers' independence and maturity is hampered by this kind of controlling parenting, particularly when it is used with older teens.

We will be able to offer more practical answers to the alleged smartphone apocalypse if we have higher respect for kids' capacities to comprehend the drawbacks of social media, practice self-care, and make logical judgements. Teens should be able to debate the advantages and disadvantages of using social media, learn about the detrimental psychological impacts, and come up with solutions as part of programs in their schools. However, until young voices are emphasized inside these progras, they will never be successful. Because so many facets of teens' life depend on social media, telling them to stop using it is just unfeasible; thus, initiatives to reduce social media usage would need to engage everyone, including organised clubs that use it for official communications. We must acknowledge that many teenagers find it challenging to "opt out," and we must include that reality into our responses.

Twenge's article is predicated on the idea that teenage social media use is at least partially obsessive and illogical. Even if this were the case—which I don't believe—young people are by no means the only ones who may get addicted to smartphones. Since adolescence is a period of identity construction, social comparison, and mental growth, it's true that the detrimental impacts of social media on mental health are probably more pronounced for young people. However, we shouldn't forget that individuals of all ages use (and misuse) social media platforms. The "adult smartphone problem" and the "teen smartphone problem" are inseparable; in fact, discussing them together will help remove the air of superiority that permeates research on youth.

Is a Generation Really Being Ruined by Smartphones?

It's no secret that using a smartphone and social media negatively impacts teenage mental health. However, it's crucial to avoid being swept up in the sensationalism of headlines or figures. Take into account that discussions about mental health are considerably more open now than they were a few years ago, which would suggest that individuals are more inclined to self-diagnose or acknowledge having a mental disease. I don't disagree that anxiety and depression have increased, but if we include prior cases of misdiagnosed patients, the severity of the rise may be lessened.

I can only speak from my limited experience, but I've never been persuaded that technology is causing young people to give up a large amount of face-to-face interaction. People can stay in touch with one another continually thanks to smartphones, and online communication has given birth to an altogether new set of unwritten conventions and social standards. However, making the assertion that cellphones are "dooming" a generation is exceedingly dangerous. People change as they get older, and the same is true of their capacity to establish limits on their smartphone use. People would often be using their smartphones and multitasking during interactions throughout middle school and high school, as the article indicates. However, I've really seen a marked decline in this behavior among my friends who are in their early 20s. Now, when my buddy and I get together, it's expected that we will put our phones aside and converse instead. As we get older, we become better at making decisions and exercising self-control in many facets of life, including using smartphones.

Genuine Solutions

In a word, we must assist kids and teenagers in developing good technology management skills. Without completely dismissing social media, we need to speak about the isolating consequences it may have. Many adults don't respect teens' capacity to understand these ideas, despite the fact that self-control, boundary-setting, and an awareness of one's emotions are all crucial skills to be helping kids learn for themselves. This is incorrect. It is futile to attempt to stop teenagers from using social media since it is here to stay—at least for the time being. That goes for characterizing adolescent smartphone use as immature or unreasonable. Attempts to change the detrimental trends in adolescent mental health would certainly fail if adults don't comprehend the intricate roles social media plays in kids' lives.

The majority of older iGens/young Millennials I've spoken to about this issue have struggled in some way with their smartphone and social media use: they mindlessly scroll through their Twitter or Facebook feeds, they feel out of the loop when they view their friends' Snapchat stories, they feel pressure to have perfect Instagram posts, etc. Many of them have taken action to establish limits for themselves, whether it be by uninstalling applications off their cellphones, stepping away from certain social media platforms, or just setting a goal to check their phones less often during the day. Even the 13-year-old who was cited in Twinge’s essay seemed to be aware of the drawbacks of her use of social media. Why then don't we strive to help teenagers like her create better routines while not discounting the reality of her online social network? We can start addressing this issue in a politer and productive manner if we can go from condescending to open dialogue, from prevention and control to teaching kids the ability of healthy boundary-setting.