A new book, Girls® by Freya India, argues that social media and digital addiction are destroying young women's mental health. The book has been praised as 'punchy' and a guide for young women, but it has also sparked debate about whether such narratives are helpful or harmful.
India's book claims that big tech preys on insecurities, and that the mental health crisis among young women is due to internet addiction. This echoes a recent US case where Meta and YouTube were found liable for designing addictive products. However, critics say the book paints all young people as passive victims, ignoring their agency.
Isabel Brooks, a young woman born in 1999, acknowledges the negative aspects of social media but rejects the idea that her generation's brains are 'ruined'. She argues that mental health decline predates the internet, with studies showing a downward trend since the 1980s. Factors like reduced childhood independence and increased surveillance may play a bigger role.
Brooks points to research showing that only 33% of children now play outside unsupervised, compared to 80% half a century ago. This loss of independent play, she says, undermines the development of an 'internal locus of control', leading to higher anxiety and depression. She warns that narratives blaming social media alone may perpetuate a sense of powerlessness.
While the US case highlights real harms to very young users, Brooks argues that the broader debate should consider multiple factors. She concludes that young women are not simply passive consumers of technology, and that empowering them requires more nuanced understanding.
