I would argue that this consequence is not limited to teenagers. It seems there are a lot more lonely adults too.
Today’s teenagers are lonelier at school than those 20 years ago because smartphones stop them talking with friends, a study says.
Researchers found the proportion of 15 and 16-year-olds in the UK feeling alienated among peers has tripled since 2000 to 33 per cent – one in three.
They said the rise coincides with widespread use of smartphones and social media by this age group.
[…]
The authors, who studied children worldwide, added that social media in particular is having a negative effect as it may heighten feelings of missing out or lead to cyber bullying.
Increases were higher among girls than boys.
The study, published in the Journal of Adolescence, said there was a strong correlation between smartphones and loneliness, although definite blame cannot be proven.
Researchers said adolescent wellbeing ‘began to decline after 2012, in conjunction with the rise of smartphone access’.
I don’t know if people are lovelier. They may more lonely at school, they can also different groups online, talk to people all over the world and have more resources online as opposed to 30 years where you depended on books, newspapers and the dial telephone.
Of course, there are other side effects such as the lack if social skills, believing everything the Internet says (case in point, Lying Karen Le Roi) along with body shaming, especially among girls.
Apparently those titans of capitalism, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, have changed their Depends and are coexisting peacefully with Joe Rogan on Spotify again. That fizzled rather quickly.
Libs are all for moral outrage as long as it is their outrage target that loses money.
Living in a 3×5 rectangle is no way for anybody to exist.
Humans are, for the most part, not solitary creatures. Nor remote. Kids especially need direct human interaction and contact, be it schoolmates, teammates, bandmates, whatever, to become human. Playing Call of Duty is not the same as playing pickle.
Frankly, I find it pathetic that so many are absolutely glued to their cellcomps. And that is not pointed at just the young’ns. I have friends who put their cellcomp on the table at restaurants and stow them in the ball slot in the golf cart…. on Sunday.
The need to GOTTA RESPOND THIS INSTANT!! is psychotic. “Followers” have replaced friends in importance.
The ‘ol ball-and-chain used to be Da Wife. Now it’s your phone. And sadly, a lot of people are just dandy with that.
“The ‘ol ball-and-chain used to be Da Wife. Now it’s your phone. And sadly, a lot of people are just dandy with that.”
Amen to that MJM.