Posted on 08/08/2017 4:38:21 AM PDT by simpson96
In 2011, for the first time in more than two decades, suicide began killing more teenagers than homicide.
And according to research presented in a recent article in The Atlantic, excerpted from a book written by Jean Twenge, a psychologist at San Diego State University, smartphones and social media may deserve a lot of the blame.
"As teens have started spending less time together, they have become less likely to kill one another," Twenge wrote, "and more likely to kill themselves."
Over the past decade, psychologists have come to see a picture in which young, developing brains are pitted against the power of brightly colored notifications, relentless pocket vibrations, and addicting apps. A byproduct has been an increase in disorders such as depression and anxiety, which can sometimes be fatal.(snip)
Loneliness seems to be a major factor in why smartphones and social media can contribute to worsening mental health.
"Today's teens may go to fewer parties and spend less time together in person, but when they do congregate, they document their hangouts relentlessly — on Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook," Twenge wrote. "Those not invited to come along are keenly aware of it."
In the days before social media, not getting invited to a party still felt bad. But the bad feeling most likely went away within a day or two as people stopped talking about the night's events. With apps that document every party happening in real time, and preserve those memories forever, there is never a shortage of reminders that you were left out.
Some teens seem to lack a healthy outlet for dealing with those bad feelings. The effects of loneliness have left them emotionally ill-equipped to seek out resources that might improve their mental health. Instead, they bear their psychic pain in private.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
I didn't realize suicide was a killer!
The Darwinian culling continues apace.
This article reads as just one more reason to keep WBill Jr. away from Instagram, Facebook, etc etc etc.
Another factor that could be playing a role: the cultural nihilism that causes people to question the whole point of living.
The rotten part of the Apple. Since adolescents are so susceptible to impulsive behavior and peer pressure perhaps restrictions should be put on teen I phone use , the way restrictions are put on guns and alcohol. Just joking. Suspect the suicides have much more to do with the emptiness of the neo pagan culture and drug use.
A few comments:
1. Is that because there are more suicides or fewer homicides? Or a little of both?
2. Suicide is often (not always, but often) a “disease” of self-centeredness. It is rare in populations that are struggling for their very existence. It is more common in populations that have a very comfortable existence.
3. Why is it that teens are obsessed with trying to belong to groups where the people don’t like them rather than looking for groups where they will fit in? As adults, most of us are not trying to hang out with celebrities. Instead, we are members of groups with whom we share common interests.
Smartphones?
But before the press said that the source of problems for youth was role-playing games...or comic books.
It couldn’t possibly be being unsupervised with parents who are seldom home.
Good article and not surprising. I’ve read a couple of Jean Twenge’s books and recommend them.
I blame the growth of the collectivist state and the rotten beliefs that grow with it. Suicides go up and babies go down everywhere its tried. Of course your typical leftist pundit is never going to get it.
This sounds like the theme of a horror movie. Evil smartphones are finding a way to kill teens!!!!
Applying the logic of the gun-hating crowd, we should consider regulating cell phones. And Facebook.
This is the least spiritual generation in our history. They are hopeless. It shows.
Bad ideas have a remarkable persistence. I'm addition to actively trying to infect others with it the fooled often take their rotten beliefs all the way to the grave.
Absolutely true.
“This is the least spiritual generation in our history”
Totally!
‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’
The smartphone has nothing to do with it. Social media came about as people lost the ability to interact with each other (in the flesh, of course). The alienation is the problem. The stupidphone makes it easier to withdraw from ANY contact with a human.
Rip the damn things from their hands, and they still won’t be able to interact with the person sitting next to them in the dentist’s office.
They need to get a life however they would do well in California.
Today’s kids don’t get enough time with just themselves to figure out who they are.
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