In “Has the Smartphone Destroyed a Generation?,” an essay by Jean M. Twenge, an American psychologist and professor, explains how the smartphone is consuming a generation and changing people's behaviors. Twenge says, “Around 2012, I noticed abrupt shifts in teen behaviors and emotional states” (290). Twenge believes that the iGen generation is shaped by the smartphone and the rise of social media, knowing that the members of this generation are growing up with these devices before they even enter high school. 

During her twenty-five years of researching generational differences, she found that iGen is on the way to having one of the worst mental health crises in decades. Twenge explains, “Rates of teen depression and suicide have skyrocketed since 2011” (291). There is so much evidence that this increase is linked to smartphones and all social media apps connected to it. Twenge also supports her claim that the internet is linked to depression when she says, “The more time teens spend looking at screens, the more likely they are to report symptoms of depression” (295). Spending this much time on social media is also a big factor on how much teens see their friends. More time on smartphones causes less face-to-face interactions with each other and more loneliness for teens. 

    Twenge makes a point on how teens' sleep schedules are greatly affected due to smartphones taking up a lot of their time. She explains that “Children who use a media device right before bed are more likely to sleep poorly, and more than twice as likely to be sleepy during the day” (Twenge 297). Having sleep deprivation as a teen can lead to many underlying health problems like high blood pressure, weight gain, and susceptibility to illnesses. Lack of sleep can then lead to depression and anxiety which greatly impacts your mood. Twenge believes that more parents should be telling their kids to put down their phones because the correlation between depression and smartphones are so strong. 

COMMENTARY/RESPONSE

Social Media Ruins Mental Health

After reading Twenges’ essay, “Has the Smartphone Destroyed a Generation?,” I found that I strongly agree with her take on smartphones. Growing up, technology became a big part of my life from a young age. As I got older, new apple products came out, such as the iPod and newer editions of the iPhone and everyone began to want one. I got my first phone in the sixth grade and began using social media somewhere between my eighth grade year and my freshman year of highschool. Having the temptation of a phone has definitely affected my sleep schedule as well as doing schoolwork. Having my phone next to me while doing schoolwork makes me want to go on it while trying to finish my work, so I often put it away while trying to get assignments done. Before bed I often go on my phone, as well as many people I know, and it can become addicting and make you not want to go to bed. One TikTok video can turn into another hour of watching it which messes up your sleep schedule. Something else I agree with that Twenge talked about was how girls often feel excluded and lonely due to social media. Seeing all your friends hanging out and posting on Snapchat or Instagram can often make people feel left out and lonely. Social media is definitely something that can cause people to become depressed due to them comparing themselves to others. It makes them want to change how they look and act so that they can “fit in” which is what can lead teens to struggle with their mental health. Social media and iPhones have not affected teens in a good way and have caused many issues within teens mental health and overall well being.