The Psychologist Whose 16-Year-Old Doesn't Have Social Media

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According to American psychologist Jean Twenge, smartphones and social media directly correlate with the rise in depression and self-harm among Gen Z. In 36 countries, including the U.S. and U.K., teens are much lonelier than they were 15 years ago. Not only that, but nearly 30 percent of American girls are clinically depressed, and the rate of suicide for 10-to-24-year-olds has tripled.

Social platforms promise connection but deliver loneliness and depression. That’s because, Twenge says, online interactions cannot replace face-to-face interactions. “Even my 16-year-old does not have social media” Twenge said. “She texts with her friends and calls them and that’s how they communicate.”

Setting aside it’s “a waste of time,” as Twenge’s daughter puts it, and the predatory pornography and terrible ideas that permeate social media, social media cannot carry the weight of real human connection. And, when we try, we are only left more isolated, more disconnected, and lonelier.

Publication date: June 12, 2023

Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Tonktiti

John Stonestreet is President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, and radio host of BreakPoint, a daily national radio program providing thought-provoking commentaries on current events and life issues from a biblical worldview. John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN), and is the co-author of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview.

The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.

BreakPoint is a program of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. BreakPoint commentaries offer incisive content people can't find anywhere else; content that cuts through the fog of relativism and the news cycle with truth and compassion. Founded by Chuck Colson (1931 – 2012) in 1991 as a daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on today's news and trends. Today, you can get it in written and a variety of audio formats: on the web, the radio, or your favorite podcast app on the go.