Research

THE RESEARCH

Between 2010-2015, smartphones & social media were adopted faster than any other communication technology in history.

At the same time, Gen Z hit puberty & became the first generation to grow up with smartphones as ubiquitous across the globe.

Does Gen Z exemplify the Profile of a Graduate traits?

Self-actualization?

SINCE THE RISE OF THE SMARTPHONE
& SOCIAL MEDIA....

....more 8th, 10th & 12th graders disagreed with the statement “I am satisfied with myself” than ever before. Smartphones features encourage children to obsess over their looks, manipulate their bodies, & idolize the most inauthentic versions of themselves... thus, undermining self-actualization.

... fewer 8th, 10th & 12th graders "have a few close friends" than ever before. Smartphones increase access to digital worlds that promote "many perfunctory relationships" & pull us away from our in-person time with others, thus, working against building close friendships & self-actualization.

...more 8th, 10th & 12th graders reported "often feel lonely" than ever before. Social media inundates users with pictures & locations of others having fun, making it extremely difficult for young people to develop ‘comfort with solitude’ and, thus, undermining self-actualization.

...more high schooler seniors think “life often feels meaningless” and they have "no chance of a successful life." Gen Z is more depressed, anxious, self-harmed, and suicidal than ever before.

Couldn't Gen Z's anxiety & depression be due to 9/11, the 2008 housing collapse, & other national crises?

No. Because...
1. Millennials experienced these national crises through adolescence & early adulthood, but did not show increases in depression, anxiety, suicide & mental illness like Gen Z.

2. Mental illness has not only increased for Gen-Zers in the United States, it has skyrocketed for Gen Z-ers at the same time all over the world.

What about the COVID pandemic, which impacted Gen Z globally?

Look at the above graphs again. Mental illness for Gen Z rose exponentially well before the COVID pandemic in 2020.

Smartphones & social media undoubtedly fight against "authenticity, life purpose, & happiness." They fight for "many perfunctory relationships," not a few, close friendships. They are strong barriers on humanity's road to developing self-actualization.

Creative Thinking & Intellectual Curiosity?

There is consensus across the field of psychology that creative, deep, intellectual thinking & complex problem-solving requires us to enter a state of FLOW, which is defined as “the mental state in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.” How enter the state of flow? --> REMOVE DISTRACTIONS.

Smartphones reduce our ability to enter FLOW largely because of "The Dopamine Reward Loop." Dopamine hits from social media & screens have been categorized as “cheap dopamine” because–like alcohol, junk food, drugs, and gambling–they make you feel happy in the moment, but, if you do too much of it, dopamine levels decrease to significantly lower and lower levels. Real sources of dopamine have decreased since the rise of the smartphone/social media--particularly sleep--making it further challenging to develop creative thinking & intellectual curiosity.

As Ron Inmink put it…

Haidt, J. (2024). The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. Penguin Press.
Haidt Evidence page

graphs_and_figures_from_the_anxious_generation_haidt_2024.pdf
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Empathy, Cultural Consciousness & Collaboration?

Social media provides people with anonymity and detaches us from our persona & personal responsibilities, making it easier for individuals to engage in negativity, sarcasm, and hate speech. Social media algorithms also create echo chambers, which work starkly against our goal to develop students who work hard to understand and carefully listen to differing views.

The hate is sadly often sprinkled with racist, homophobic sexist, xenophobic undertones. The book “Accountable” tells the true story of an affluent school district that is rocked by a community-wide brawl over racist social media posts, exacerbating tensions between people with cultural differences. Scholarly research shows that the more exposure adolescents of color have to social media, the more mental health problems they experience due to racial discrimination.

Findings of a newly released survey of 800 employers by intelligent.com, show that Gen Z college graduates "have yet to master several key foundational aspects of professionalism, like making eye contact during an interview." 47 percent of survey respondents reported job candidates dressing inappropriately for interviews, 21 percent had a job candidate refuse to turn on their camera for a virtual interview, and 19 percent reported having a college graduate bring a parent to a job interview.

More Research on the Negative Effects of Smartphones/Social Media

97% of Kids Use Their Device in School and Beyond Says Study

NOTE: We acknowledge that mental illness is a complex problem and that restricting smartphone use in schools will not solve all problems related to increased mental illness and decreased attention spans. We also acknowledge that not every young person who has used smartphones and social media has a diagnosable mental illness. However, we believe that the research showing a steep increase in youth mental illness over the last two decades--all over the world--is serious enough to address with a variety of solutions. We view the restriction of smartphone use in schools as a very strong, research-based solution that is worth taking action on.