Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist at New York University’s Stern School of Business, says the devices we use are definitely to blame.
His new book, “Generation Anxiety: How a Massive Restructuring of Childhood is Driving an Epidemic of Mental Illness,” argues that constant access to social media thanks to mobile phones is leading to social comparison, poor sleep, and loneliness among Gen Z.
And it resonated: His book is currently number three on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list.
Zach Rausch, Haidt’s lead researcher and an associate research scientist at New York University’s Stern School of Business, says kids who have access to social media and iPhones in elementary and middle school are more anxious and less productive.
“The purpose of technology is to be a tool that we use to achieve our goals,” he says. “If it doesn’t do that, it ends up using us at the expense of our goals.”
But there are ways to limit these negative effects. Here are three things you can do today to improve your happiness and stay focused.
If your phone is the last thing you do before bed and the first thing you do when you wake up, it can negatively impact your sleep and increase your stress levels.
Buying an alarm clock and keeping your device outside your bedroom can help you distance yourself both physically and mentally from social media.
Often times, conversations on Instagram or text don’t transfer from digital to physical.
“We were communicating with each other on our flip phones in order to eventually meet in person,” Rausch said. “The online world is in some ways the opposite. We’re communicating in order to stay there. And our argument is that’s not enough.”
We communicated with each other on flip phones in order to eventually meet in person. The online world is, in a way, the opposite: we communicate in order to stay connected.
Zach Roush
Associate Research Scientist, NYU Stern School of Business
Yale University happiness professor Laurie Santos agrees.
“All the research on happy people suggests that they are more social, they spend more time physically with other people, they have more time for friends and family,” Santos, who teaches “The Science of Happiness” at Yale University, told CNBC Make It.
According to a study, young people receive 237 smartphone notifications per day. 2023 Survey The study looked at 203 teenagers aged between 11 and 17. Nearly a quarter of them, or 23 percent, developed the disease while they were at school.
Silencing notifications helps you stay focused and productive during the times that matter most.
Rausch emphasizes that giving up your smartphone is not a cure-all for depression, but using it more thoughtfully could help you pursue and accomplish more through activities that have been shown to boost happiness, like in-person social connections.
“We don’t need to reject technology completely,” he says, “but we do need to stop and think about how it affects our lives, because it’s rapidly changing the way we live. Is it giving us fulfillment? Is it helping us grow? Is it helping us achieve our goals? And if not, what can we do to change that?”
Do you want to be a more confident communicator? Take CNBC’s new online course Becoming an Effective Communicator: Mastering Public SpeakingWe’ll teach you how to speak clearly and confidently, how to ease your nerves, what to say and what not to say, and body language techniques to make a great first impression. Sign up now and use code EARLYBIRD to receive an introductory discount of 30% off until 7/10/2024.
plus, Sign up for the CNBC Make It newsletter Learn tips and tricks for success in work, money and life.
