The debate on when kids should first get a phone has been long and running, and parents stand on both sides of the argument. There are also a ton of studies and loads of research out there discussing the effects of smartphones on children and teens if you look for it. One new opinion is that of social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, the author of Anxious Generation. He believes that children shouldn't have phones before high school, and his new book explains the reasons behind a decline in kids' mental health.
Jonathan says that helping kids get back to better mental health all starts with parents asking themselves questions. "What did you love about your childhood? What are your best memories?" From there, he believes that the answers can help parents recognize the importance of getting their kids off their phones and outside.
"It's being outside with other kids playing. You make up the rules. You are having fun. That's nature's way of having mammals wire up their brains," he said in an interview with Good Morning America. "Kids need play and independence if they're going to become healthy, happy, and independent adults."
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In his book, Jonathan aimed to figure out why the mental health of children began to decline in 2012 and 2013, with anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicide becoming more common for the younger ages. His findings were that the growing use of smartphones played a big role.
"Millennials went through puberty with flip phones, and flip phones aren't particularly bad. You use them just to communicate," he said. He went on to specify that it was around the time kids got smartphones that social media also rose to popularity. "When kids move their social lives onto social media like that, it's not human. It doesn't help them develop. And right away, mental health collapses."
Jonathan says that it can be hard for parents trying to keep their child from using a smartphone or social media, saying it can feel like trying to "hold back the tide" of sorts. "We're having trouble because we don't want to be the only one who doesn't give our kid a phone," he explained.
He went on to share four of his proposed guidelines on phone and social media usage as "norms" across the country. His first is that kids shouldn't have smartphones before high school. He says that flip phones can be a good alternative to still ensure the safety of kids.
Jonathan's second proposal is that children shouldn't have social media before the age of 16. In 2023, the American Psychological Association issued a guidance to ensure teens get proper training on using social media safely.
The psychologist's third proposal was that schools be phone-free, and using school officials to brainstorm options, such as a locker for students' phones during school hours. And lastly, Jonathan advises that children get more free play and responsibility in the real world. What are your thoughts on his proposals?
