If your child is young, take away that smartphone, give them a dumbphone

_{Jonathan Haidt is the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business}

Children today develop mental illness, even become suicidal, because we are “over-protecting them in the real world and under-protecting them online”, writes psychologist Jonathan Haidt. His new book, “The Anxious Generation”, pins the blame on “the great rewiring of childhood” by Big Tech and their smartphones and social media.

In 2006 Megan Meier, 13, hanged herself with a belt because she had spent too much time on MySpace and the mother of a classmate had been bullying her under a false name. The tragedy of Megan happened in the U.S. Here in Hong Kong, every 9.3 days a person under 24 will end their life. City University found in a survey almost one third of youngsters aged 10 to 14 will be potentially suicidal.

Children need to learn the skills necessary for success in society, psychologist Haidt writes. The problem is, however, “they live in their phones other than reality”. Children are being harmed mainly by:

• Social deprivation: since 2012 the time adolescents spend with friends face to face has dropped 50 per cent.
• Sleep deprivation: Lack of sleep caused by smartphones leads to depression anxiety, irritability and cognitive deficits.
• Attention fragmentation: Phones constantly interrupt us so our ability to focus is severely impaired.
• Addiction: Kids use their phones to seek the next “dopamine hit” and Big Tech callously encourages this.

“Just as the immune system needs exposure to germs . . .children require exposure to setbacks, failures, shocks and stumbles in order to develop strength and self-reliance.”

Haidt recommends reforms:

• Until 14 years of age children should have dumbphones only.
• Until 16 they should have no access to social media because the constant badgering can damage their self-worth permanently.
• In school phones should be banned.
• Kids should be free to play “to develop social skills to overcome anxiety and become (well-balanced) young adults”.

Haidt, professor of ethical leadership at New York University, has written several books including “The Coddling of the American Mind”. His books are available from the Bookazine chain of six stores where we spotted “The Anxious Generation”.

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt   (2024) ‎ Penguin Press ISBN-10: 0593655036 ISBN-13:‎ 978-0593655030

The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt Penguin Books (2019) ISBN-10: ‎ 0735224919 ISBN-13: ‎ 978-0735224919