Research on smartphones and adolescent anxiety needs further research – Marin Independent Journal

A person uses a smartphone in Chicago, September 16, 2017. (AP Photo, File)

Jonathan Haidt's book, “The Anxious Generation,” is a national bestseller. The impact of the Internet and smartphones on adolescents is a very important topic, and the book does us a great service by convincingly urging us to examine it. It should be read widely.

But as I read it, I realized that it sometimes exposes the same fallacious reasoning that is endemic in the way we think about many issues today. This is a book for our times that unintentionally confuses correlation with causation and overgeneralizes partial truths into the whole.

Much of this rests on the way we too often present simplistic answers to complex problems. Commonly described as the reductive fallacy, this frequently occurs when people discuss viewpoints on issues. This becomes particularly concerning when it occurs on a large scale and comes to us through the media. It’s a habit of thinking that often adds to the problem of coming up with useful analyzes and solutions.

I use Haidt's book as an example, despite its significant value, because it is currently at the forefront in addressing an important challenge. Smartphones and the Internet are having a significant impact on adolescents and, as Haidt and others attest, whatever their notable benefits, are likely contributing to an increase in depression and anxiety among adolescents.

However, many other challenges have also multiplied in recent years, from the impact of all visual media to the COVID-19 crisis, increased pressure and requirements to access prestigious universities, escalating climate crisis, Authoritarianism is increasing globally and, for many children, a feeling of helplessness in the face of world events. Each of these elements most likely contributed to adolescent anxiety.

The problem is that the book, like most research on the subject, does not establish a cause and effect relationship between this technology and the psychological discomfort of adolescents. All of these other variables are largely ignored by Haidt and others who have identified smartphones and the internet as the primary causes.

Indications of increased stress and anxiety among adolescents as well as the increase in social networking via smartphones establish a relationship. However, no authoritative cause and effect relationship has been established.

I think about what it would be like for me today if I were a teenager listening to the outside world. I read articles in print and online about Ukraine, the war between Israel and Hamas, the growing book ban, a presidential candidate who resembles an authoritarian leader, and a myriad of conspiracy theories. These are just for starters.

In short, multiple variables affect children and focusing exclusively on one can prevent us from seeing the true complexity of the problem. Whether I get my information from newspapers or the Internet, I could very likely worry about my future job prospects and what shape the world will be in when I finish my studies. I would naturally feel a lot of anxiety.