AMA: Our Brains on Smartphones
What science says about how you, the government, and institutions can help young people (and yourself) navigate the world of addictive tech.
Housekeeping
- This post is for Members, who are curious and ask good questions. Want the answer to this week’s questions? Become a Member below.
- The 2% Screen Time Challenge is in full effect—and we’ve got a leader on the board. You can still sign up here.
In today’s AMA, we’ll be tackling one question:
- What can we do about the problems kids and adults face with smartphones?
Topics include:
- My recent appearance on Fox News to talk about the harms of smartphones.
- Why teens are more susceptible to issues from smartphones, and how adults are at risk of the same problems.
- Why the issue isn't as simple as "use your phone less."
- What we can do at a governmental and institutional level to solve the smartphone conundrum.
- What parents who have kids and teens might consider doing to set their kids up for success.
Recall that we voted to have AMAs be off-the-cuff podcast answers rather than written pieces. The audio is below.
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Below are relevant links, the audio, and a quick writeup of the transcript
Relevant links
- My appearance on Fox News Primetime.
- Jonathan Haidt’s recent Atlantic piece, End the Phone-Based Childhood Now.
- Why quitting a smartphone habit is just like quitting a drug: The Smartphone Withdrawal Effect.
- Why adults escape into smartphones and Five Ways to Leverage the Power of Emotions.
- UNESCO research on how banning smartphones in schools leads to improved academic performance and less bullying.
- A deep dive into how alterations in teen brains make them more susceptible to the potential harms of smartphones.
- Why smartphones have a high rate of addiction.
