From 2014-2015 to 2023, the number of children who are almost constantly online has nearly doubled, illustrating the significant impact of technological advancements on childhood. Although the data is inconclusive about the long-term effects of increased online time, there are indications that anxiety, depression, and disturbed sleep among young people have risen alongside the proliferation of smartphones.

We need innovative approaches to address these emerging issues for children and young adults and to counteract the trend of a growing anxious generation.

The advent of smartphone apps and new incentive structures on social media represents a shift in childhood, presenting unique challenges that parents are beginning to recognize.

The data presents a complex picture: while mental health issues among young people are escalating globally and increased screen time and social media use contribute to this trend, not all digital engagement is harmful. Experts emphasize the need for balanced technology use and redesigning digital tools to support children’s well-being. Encouragingly, efforts are underway to safeguard youth mental health in an increasingly digital world.

What the Data Tells Us

According to Psychology professor Kathleen Pike, children's lived experiences are diverse and multifaceted, as highlighted in author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED Talk on overlapping stories.

Today, 1.2 billion young people aged 15 to 24 make up 16% of the global population. The data largely underrepresents low- and middle-income countries, says Pike, who teaches at Columbia University. Nonetheless, it clearly shows a rise in mental health issues, which are predicted to increase. In 2019, one in eight people, or 970 million worldwide, lived with a mental disorder, with anxiety and depression being the most common. By 2020, the number of people with anxiety and depressive disorders had increased by 26% and 28%, respectively.

Children and teens are significantly affected by this trend. The World Health Organization reports that globally, one in seven 10-19-year-olds experiences a mental disorder, accounting for 13% of the disease burden in this age group. Depression, anxiety, and behavioral disorders are leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents, with suicide being the fourth leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds. The rates of stress, fear, and loneliness are much higher and continue to grow.

What is Happening to Young People Today?

Nita Farahany, an expert on the ethical, legal, and social implications of emerging technologies at Duke University, shared her perspective as a parent at the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

“As a parent of an eight-year-old daughter, I worry that between the ages of eight and 18 – if she is like the average child – she will spend about 4.8 waking years of her life in front of a screen. This is about 4.5 waking hours a day immersed in technology. This isn’t speculative; it’s the present-day reality based on data. And it’s unclear how their cognitive landscape is fundamentally reshaped by this reality.”

“We are at a pivotal moment,” she added. “Our children are in an ongoing experiment, and we don’t know the outcome. However, we do have some data that helps us think differently about how technology is deployed while respecting the whole child and their well-being.”

From 2014-2015 to 2023, the number of children who are almost constantly online doubled, increasing from three and a half hours per day to seven or more hours each day. This shows a sustained increase in time spent online, rather than a temporary blip during the pandemic.

The share of teens who say they are online

Image: Pew Research Center

There is no single cause for this sustained increase, but social media plays a significant role. While the data about the impacts of more time online is not perfectly clear, an increasing trend is evident. As the availability and access to smartphones have increased, so too has the incidence of anxiety, depression, and disturbed sleep.

Addressing Harm

The cause of increased mental health issues isn’t obvious, nor is the correlation with screen time. Some increased online time is due to a rise in creativity, connectivity, and opportunities for learning and immersion. However, it is intriguing that a study of college students who limited their screen time to 30 minutes per day reported far lower levels of depression and loneliness after three weeks. Improved sleep contributes to this better mental well-being, but it is unlikely to be the sole reason.

So, what must we do to tackle emerging harms for children and young adults and reverse the trend of a growing anxious generation?

“Part of the problem is that these platforms are being intentionally designed to drive increased engagement and use,” says Farahany, highlighting features such as autoplay and intermittent rewards that gamify the experience on social media and create peer pressure.

Technology does not have to be this way. It can be designed to respect the child and recognize that constant technology use should not define their entire experience. Recognizing the importance of their interactions with each other and nature is crucial.

“Designing a world for a ‘whole child’ approach must involve the redesign of technology,” adds Farahany. However, achieving this requires recognizing that not all screen time is harmful – the key is balance.

“Encouraging active use of technology rather than passive use is essential. It’s about recognizing where the benefits are and aligning technology with children’s needs.”

Important efforts are underway to make this happen.

Child-First Initiatives

Finland has intentionally designed its curriculum to prepare children from pre-school to counter misinformation and disinformation by integrating technology in ways that help them develop discernment, skill, and mental agility.

The non-profit organization Common Sense Education has a digital citizenship curriculum that teaches children the basics of digital literacy, its impact on them, and how they can make choices to empower themselves for a digital future.

These actions will help prepare children for a world of increased digital immersion. However, more can be done.

We must look at technology design and redesign, from privacy-first social media platforms to technologies that focus on empowering children rather than entrapping them. A new set of industry standards around kids’ codes should consider their unique vulnerabilities and foster their empowerment, alongside robust policy frameworks that protect children. For example, new rules in China to strengthen protections for children online and the European Union’s child-first policies aim to benefit children with increased mental health resources and funding.

We need more of these efforts and a collective focus on improving youth mental health. Social psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt emphasizes that parents are overprotecting children in the real world while underprotecting them in the virtual world, calling for parents, teachers, friends, and relatives to take action to improve the mental health of children and adolescents.