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Phones and the Importance of Play: Are phones really to blame for the decline in kids’ mental health?

ParentData with Emily Oster

CHAPTER

Digital Childhood: Play, Mental Health, and Social Media

This chapter examines the correlation between childhood play, mental health, and the rise of smartphones, emphasizing the decline of free play and its impact on teenage mental health. It highlights the increase in depression rates, particularly among girls, since 2012 and critiques the societal changes affecting children's experiences and parental anxiety. The discussion is grounded in historical comparisons and evaluates the complexities of establishing causation in mental health trends.

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