According to social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, the generation born after 1995—Gen Z—has experienced a unique mental health crisis driven by smartphones and social media. In his new book, Haidt argues that these young people were the first to go through puberty with a portal to an alternative universe in their pockets, which has had devastating effects on their wellbeing.
Haidt compares the situation to sending children to Mars without parental consent, highlighting how tech companies created world-changing products with little research on mental health effects. When evidence of harm emerged, companies engaged in denial and obfuscation, using psychological tricks to maximise engagement among vulnerable young users.
Social media platforms have inflicted particular damage on girls, while video games and pornography sites have hooked boys. By displacing physical play and in-person socialising, these companies have rewired childhood and altered human development on an unprecedented scale. Gen Z teenagers now spend hours each day curating online brands and scrolling through posts, leading to increased social anxiety and a decline in traditional greetings like handshakes.
The law in most countries has imposed few restrictions, with age verification often bypassed by children checking a box. However, the UK's 2023 Online Safety Act is tightening regulations, and similar reviews are underway in the US. Haidt suggests that addressing this crisis requires recognising the vulnerability of children and implementing stronger protections against addictive digital products.
