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Loneliness and in person interactions are at an all time low with our generation of teens compared to past generations

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Loneliness and in person interactions are at an all time low with our generation of teens compared to past generations

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What will the world become if no one knows how to talk to people in person? Kids only learn to interact with people by interacting with people.

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“Spending time with other people in person is one of the best predictors for psychological well-being and one of the best protections against having mental health issues.”

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For the first time, a generation of children is going through adolescence with smartphones ever-present. Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University, has a name for these young people born between 1995 and 2012: "iGen."

She says members of this generation are physically safer than those who came before them. They drink less, they learn to drive later and they're holding off on having sex. But psychologically, she argues, they are far more vulnerable.

"It's not an exaggeration to describe iGen as being on the brink of the worst mental health crisis in decades," she writes in a story in The Atlantic, adapted from her forthcoming book. And she says it's largely because of smartphones.

Twenge spoke to All Things Considered about her research and her conclusions. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
How does teen behavior now differ from generations past?
Today's teens are just not spending as much time with their friends in person, face-to-face, where they can really read each others' emotions and get that social support. And we know from lots and lots of research that spending time with other people in person is one of the best predictors for psychological well-being and one of the best protections against having mental health issues.
What is this generation facing that worries you so much?
iGen is showing mental health issues across a wide variety of indicators. They're more likely than young people just five or 10 years ago to say that they're anxious, that they have symptoms of depression, that they have thought about suicide or have even [attempted] suicide. So across the board, there's a really consistent trend with mental health issues increasing among teens.
Is it specifically the smartphone, or is it social media? Or is it the number of hours per day spent on these things?
So, you look at the pattern of loneliness. It suddenly begins to increase around 2012. And the majority of Americans had a cell phone by the end of 2012, according to the Pew Center.

Given that using social media for more hours is linked to more loneliness, and that smartphones were used by the majority of Americans around 2012, and that's the same time loneliness increases, that's very suspicious. You can't absolutely prove causation, but by a bunch of different studies, there's this connection between spending a lot of time on social media and feeling lonely.
How much of a factor is parenting?
So I was somewhat surprised when I interviewed iGen teens how many of them are deeply aware of the negative effects of smartphones. Parenting is playing a role. I think many parents are worried about their teens driving, and going out with their friends and drinking. Yet parents are often not worrying about their teen who stays at home but is on their phone all the time. But they should be worried about that. I think parents are worried about the wrong thing.
Can you propose solutions that might help people?
The first is just awareness that spending a lot of time on the phone is not harmless and that if you're spending a lot of time on the phone, then it may take away from activities that might be more beneficial for psychological well-being, like spending time with people in person.

Then for parents, I think it is [a] good idea to put off giving your child a smartphone as long as you can. If you feel they need a phone, say, for riding a bus, you can get them a flip phone. They still sell them. And then once your teen has a smartphone, there are apps that allow parents to restrict the number of hours a day that teens are on the smartphone, and also what time of day they use it.

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Psychologist Jean Twenge has observed dramatic shifts in behavior among children who go through adolescence with smartphones. They're spending less time with friends and reporting greater anxiety.

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Our Teen Suicide Rates are at an All Time High

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Our Teen Suicide Rates are at an All Time High

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Boys aged 15 to 19 suicide rates have increased more than 30 percent

Suicide rates for teenage girls are at a 40-year high

“In a provocative new article for The Atlantic, Twenge makes a correlation between the popularity of smartphones and increased rates of suicide and depression among young people. "Teens who use electronic devices more hours a day are more likely to be a risk for suicide," Twenge said.”

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Social Media is also Messing with our Generations Perception of the World

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Social Media is also Messing with our Generations Perception of the World

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Teens, because of social media, have been comparing their life to the “ideal life” and form an unhealthy view of what their life and body should look like

Teens also fake the “ideal life” by posting edited or staged photos not only lying to other people but also themselves

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Social Media is at the root of many of this generations problems 

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Social Media is at the root of many of this generations problems 

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A lot of these suicides can be traced back to either cyberbullying or bad mental health which is attributed to social media

Social media has been proven to, if not used correctly, cause depression and anxiety

Many teens say that they are addicted to their phones and even more parents say their kids are (according to a survey done by Common Sense Media)

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“Experts cite family instability and substance use as some factors for suicide, but the role of cyberbullying is becoming more prevalent."

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/ CBS News

Jennifer Gonzales describes her 17-year-old son, Jack Farrell, as "an all-around great kid -- he was an athlete."

Gonzales said Jack seemed fine last Thanksgiving.

"The next day, I get woken up by the police knocking on my door saying I needed to come with them right away," Gonzales said. "I found out then that he had shot himself in the head."

New data from the Centers for Disease Control show suicide rates for boys like Farrell aged 15 to 19 has increased more than 30 percent.

Three years ago, Conrad Roy died in a truck from carbon monoxide poisoning after his friend Michelle Carter encouraged him to commit suicide through dozens of text messages. In a highly publicized trial, we learned both teens suffered from mental illness.

The CDC also says suicide rates for teenage girls are at a 40-year high. Experts cite family instability and substance use as some factors for suicide, but the role of cyberbullying is becoming more prevalent.

In June, 12-year-old Mallory Grossman took her own life. Her mother Diane says it was because she was harassed in texts, on Snapchat and Instagram.

"In the beginning, it was just teasing, it was name-calling. Exclusion was an important part -- 'you can't sit here, you're not welcome at this table,'" Grossman said.

"Teens are much more likely now than they were just five years ago, or seven years ago, to say that they are anxious and depressed and thinking about suicide," said Jean Twenge, a psychologist at San Diego State University.

In a provocative new article for The Atlantic, Twenge makes a correlation between the popularity of smartphones and increased rates of suicide and depression among young people.

"Teens who use electronic devices more hours a day are more likely to be a risk for suicide," Twenge said.

Twenge says the so-called smartphone generation is less likely to have face-to-face interaction with friends, which she says is crucial to mental health and building social skills.

More from CBS News

Jericka Duncan

First published on August 4, 2017 / 7:16 PM

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Smartphones, cyberbullying seen as possible causes of rising teen suicide rate

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New CDC data shows suicide rates for boys aged 15-19 has increased more than 30 percent, and those rates for girls are at a 40-year high

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“However, this generation, in particular, is experiencing a new outlet that has proven to damage teens’ personal perceptions and might be more influential than celebrity followings: social media."

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*Written by guest blogger Katie Bassett who handles public relations for Safer-America, a consumer advocacy group that provides public safety awareness information.

Suicide continues to be the third leading cause of death for youth ages 10-24, indicating the severity of this issue for teenagers. Additionally, approximately 157,000 youth in this age group suffer from severe personal injuries due to attempted suicide each year. Causes for teenage suicide are widespread and some may include bullying, social rejection and isolation, academic struggles, relationship failures and depression.

Furthermore, some teens fantasize about an "ideal life" and compare that to their current lifestyle. Conformity is one of the biggest struggles teenagers will face, and this type of social pressure can be destructive. So where are teens being exposed to this "ideal life" and social conformity in our society today?

Behind the "ideal life"

The idea of what we should be doing has been broadcast all over the media for a long time. From the magazines about the latest fashion trends and diet fads, to the reality shows that teenagers spend hours watching, many teens form an idea of what they should look like and how they should act based on celebrities and other iconic imagery in the media. However, this generation, in particular, is experiencing a new outlet that has proven to damage teens' personal perceptions and might be more influential than celebrity followings: social media.

Social media is a new outlet that has greatly shaped our generation; it has played an incredible role with how quickly we can receive news and network with friends and colleagues. We are now able to instantly share updates, content, pictures and videos about our personal lives with the community, which allows us to keep up with the latest happenings. However, we have also witnessed the negative effects of social media and social networking, particularly with teens. Many teenagers can portray an edited life on their social networking accounts that reflect this "ideal life" of perpetual bliss.

How do teenagers come up with the ideal life?

Where do teenagers come up with a sense of what an ideal life is? Many would now answer simply by looking at what their friends are posting. Pictures of beach sunsets and staged photos of friends laughing often flood social feeds and leave other teens feeling as if they are missing out on this "ideal life." We saw specifically how Madison Holleran, a freshman at University of Pennsylvania, appeared to be successful and happy on her Instagram. However, she felt alone and lost in college. She saw her friends having the time of their lives via social media, which further isolated her feelings. Because of these social pressures along with other factors, Madison decided to end her life only six months after she started her freshman year.

How can I help a teen who is depressed or thinking about suicide?

Often teenagers get caught up in hyper-idealistic posts, which can lead to further depression. Below are some helpful pointers we can voice to teenagers who may be struggling:

A picture or post doesn't tell the entire story:
Everyone wants to share the coolest things they are doing with their followers and teenagers shouldn't look at this as a competition.

The difference between an ideal and real life:
Acknowledge what teens are seeing on social media. Everyone has as an image of their "ideal life," and for a struggling teen, we want to help them see that he/she is not the only one that feels these pressures.

Align your real self with your ideal self:
What is a struggling teen idolizing from these pictures? If it is a specific job or the idea of travelling, help that teen turn these fantasies into obtainable goals.

Don't be afraid to speak about your past:
Most feel isolated during their teenage years. If you are vocal and open about your past experiences as a teenager, many will feel more inclined to share any internal struggles.

Reiterate their best attributes:
Most people look at what they need to improve on, instead of what they do well. Instead, help a struggling teen focus on all of the positive aspects in their life.

Be the change in a teen's life and help prevent suicide. If we are more aware of the warning signs and can bring positive light to the social media pressures, we can help lower the rate of teenage suicide in the U.S.

If you know a child or young adult struggling with depression or experiencing thoughts of self-harm, contact our psychiatric hospitals at (913) 890-7468, or contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) immediately. If your child or teen is exhibiting challenging behaviors, you can also download this FREE Quick Assessment: Does My Child or Teen Need Professional Help?
Related article:

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Exposing the Connection Between Social Media and Teen Suicide - KVC Health Systems

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Written by guest blogger Katie Bassett who handles public relations for Safer-America, a consumer advocacy group that provides public safety awareness information. Suicide continues to be the third leading cause of death for youth ages 10-24, indicating the severity of this issue for teenagers.

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Real World Example: Cyber bullying that lead to suicide

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Real World Example: Cyber bullying that lead to suicide

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12 year old took her own life after being cyber bullied by her classmates.

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New Jersey family to sue school district after 12-year-old daughter’s suicide

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Mallory Grossman killed herself after classmates cyberbullied her, her family says. They intend to sue the New Jersey school they say should have stopped it.

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The Connection Between Social Media and the Teen Mental Crisis

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The Connection Between Social Media and the Teen Mental Crisis

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Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, long a proponent of mental health awareness, has issued a warning that social media use is a main contributor to depression, anxiety and other problems in the nation's teenagers.

The report, released Tuesday, calls attention to growing concerns about the effects of social media use on children and adolescent's mental health. The advisory urges policymakers and the companies that make the social media platforms to share with parents the burden of managing children's and adolescents' social media use.

Murthy calls youth mental health "the defining public health issue of our time," urging policymakers to help ensure strong safety standards to help protect adolescents and teens from exposure to harmful content and excessive use.

Up to 95% of teens between the ages of 13 and 17 say they use a social media platform, according to the report. About a third say they're scrolling, posting or otherwise engaged with social media "almost constantly."

"At this point, we do not have enough evidence to say with confidence that social media is sufficiently safe for our kids, Murthy said in an interview. "We have to now take action to make sure that we are protecting our kids."

The report pulls together research that links social media use and poor mental health in adolescents, such as a 2019 study that found teens who spent more than three hours a day on social media "faced double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, including symptoms of depression and anxiety."

As of last year, students in grades eight and 10 who were surveyed said they spent even more time each day on these platforms: three hours and 30 minutes, on average.

Jim Steyer, founder of Common Sense Media, an organization that advocates for laws and policies to make media more child-friendly, said the advisory was "absolutely spot on" and "should be a clarion call to every parent in this country, every policymaker, that we need to put focus and resources into this effort."

The most popular social media platforms among teens are TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram, according to the Pew Research Center.

The surgeon general's warning about social media comes as the rates of teenage depression, sadness and hopelessness have skyrocketed over the past decade, especially among girls.

" Teen depression started to rise around 2012, a time that coincides with the popularity of smartphones," said Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University and the author of "Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents-and What They Mean for America's Future."

It was also a time, Twenge said, that "'likes' on posts became common, and the algorithms started to become more sophisticated to keep people on social media for longer. That's clearly not a coincidence."

The surgeon general's report also blamed social media for perpetuating eating disorders, body dysmorphia and low self-esteem. Some evidence also suggests a possible link between excessive social media use and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in teens.

Twenge said social media can a ffect mental health in a variety of ways. Both sleep and face-to-face social interaction are beneficial to mental health, she said, but if kids are online when they should be in bed or spending time with friends, that's a problem.

Feeling left out and comparing oneself to others can also be damaging.

"Even if you know on an intellectual level that they may have taken 200 selfies to get the right one," Twenge said, "at an emotional level, that's not really processed."

What can be done?

The surgeon general's report outlines recommendations for both technology companies and lawmakers.

"Policymakers need to step up and help ensure that we have strong safety standards, to help protect our kids from exposure to harmful content, and to also protect them from excessive use," Murthy said. This includes enforcing age minimums.

Companies are advised to create better tools to protect teenagers, and loosen up on features that entice kids to stay online longer.

It's parents who are on the front lines now in trying to help teens navigate the online world. The report encourages caregivers to create "tech-free" zones in the home, and to talk with kids about how social media use makes them feel.

"It's really not fair to put the onus on parents alone. Why isn't the industry held responsible for creating the platforms and making the features that much more addictive?" Steyer of Common Sense Media said. "There has to be a major national discussion."

How old should kids be before using social media?

Most tech companies require users to be at least 13 years old. But nearly 40% of kids between the ages of 8 and 12 use social media, the report said.

Murthy said he believes even 13 is too young to be on social media but said there wasn't enough data to suggest which age would be appropriate.

Twenge suggested that the age minimum should be set at 16.

"Let's get some regulations in place now to help kids who are not yet on social media," Twenge said. "Maybe we can save the next generation."

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Social media is driving teen mental health crisis, surgeon general warns

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U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy blames social media for rising rates of anxiety, depression and other mental health struggles among teens and adolescents.