A few days ago, the CDC released a study of unhappiness in teenagers - especially girls - that seemed to signal what could only be called an epidemic. Theories abounded, but I have to agree with Noah Smith that it's most likely the combination of smart phones and social media.
It would be pointless to recap his argument faithfully, as he does a very good job of marshalling studies and evidence. I will say that I've noticed in my own life the fundamental difference between coming online and reading things (or even watching things) and the easy access via my phone to TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
I'm trying to find some sort of structure to regulate how much time I spend wasting my life, not because it's unenjoyable, but precisely because it is so much fun. My interactions with social media are - on the whole - pretty positive. But I understand how powerful the negativity bias can be and how vulnerable young people, especially girls, can be.
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