What if social media isn’t hurting kids?
Published
What's this about?
Two years ago, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt released his New York Times bestseller The Anxious Generation. The book posits that the rise of social media and smartphone use is largely to blame for the prominent decline in teen mental health since 2010. It quickly became a central rallying cry o
The one-panel cartoon
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A cozy living room with a fireplace and bookshelves, filled with a group of teenagers laughing and sharing stories, while their parents sit separately with smartphones, looking anxious and disconnected.
Caption: While adults blame social media, teens find connection the old-fashioned way.
Read the full 3-panel strip
Based on the original story on theverge.com.
Editor's note
While The Anxious Generation presents a compelling argument about the link between social media use and teen mental health, it’s important to consider the nuanced impact of social media and recognize that individual experiences and environments significantly influence these outcomes. Exploring both sides of the debate can help us better understand and address the complex relationship between social media and youth well-being.
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Panel 1
*Alex is tinkering with a new gadget in their home workshop, surrounded by wires and gadgets. Sam is leaning against a workbench, arms crossed, looking skeptical.* Sam (dryly)
Alex: I’ve invented a social media app that actually makes kids happier and more socially connected!
Sam: That sounds like a unicorn with a license to print money.
Panel 2
*Robin is jumping around in a park, enthusiastically showing the new app to a group of teenagers. The teens are smiling and laughing, clearly engaged.*
Robin: Check out this app, it’s like a social media detox but better!
Teen 1: Yeah, this is actually fun!
Teen 2: I can’t believe I’m having a good time!
Panel 3
*Alex, Sam, and Robin are gathered in Alex’s living room, looking at analytics on a large screen that shows a graph with a steady upward trend.*
Alex: Look, more kids are spending time outside and making real-life friends!
Sam: So, it’s not just a better app... it’s a better world?
Robin: Maybe social media isn’t the problem after all.
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