It would be difficult to find a device that has had more impact on our daily lives than the Smartphone. The ability to connect not only to others but to sources of information anywhere, anytime while in motion may be the most revolutionary development since the introduction of electricity.
But there are no unmixed blessings and the impact of the Smartphone on development of Gen Z appears to be particularly alarming according to NYU psychologist Jonathan Haidt who has penned an important new book in which he documents the psychological decay from a “play based childhood” to a “Smart Phone Based” childhood and how the most formative years of our children’s lives are being upended since 2010 when Smartphone use skyrocketed.
This 4 min interview with Dr. Haidt provides a quick overview of his alarming findings, but points to a hopeful, critical factor within the control of parents that may the key to helping children reclaim their lives. After watching this interview, you may wish to read his important book, “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.”
