Are smartphones really causing mental illness in teens?; More evidence of alien life; Digital oak trees
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May 23, 2025
The impact of smartphones on teen mental health sparks debate, with researchers questioning whether these devices are truly harmful. Meanwhile, the discovery of potential alien life grows more intriguing, as conflicting analyses of signals from the James Webb Space Telescope intensify the discussion. Finally, an immersive art installation at Kew Gardens showcases the intricate world of oak trees, encouraging a deeper connection to nature and raising awareness about their ecological significance.
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Lack of Firm Evidence on Smartphones
There is no strong scientific consensus that smartphones are causing mental illness in teens.
Much of the debate relies on anecdotes and lacks robust statistical evidence supporting harm claims.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Parental Guidance on Tech Use
Parents should have open, honest conversations with their children about technology's pros and cons.
Understanding the technology themselves helps balance protection and allowing experience.
insights INSIGHT
Alien Life Evidence Is Unsettled
Evidence of alien life on exoplanet K2-18b remains contested despite new analyses.
More data and analysis encompassing many molecules still can't conclusively identify biological signals.
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In 'The Anxious Generation', Jonathan Haidt examines the sudden decline in the mental health of adolescents starting in the early 2010s. He attributes this decline to the shift from a 'play-based childhood' to a 'phone-based childhood', highlighting mechanisms such as sleep deprivation, attention fragmentation, addiction, loneliness, social contagion, and perfectionism that interfere with children’s social and neurological development. Haidt proposes four simple rules to address this issue: no smartphones before high school, no social media before age 16, phone-free schools, and more opportunities for independence, free play, and responsibility. The book offers a clear call to action for parents, teachers, schools, tech companies, and governments to restore a more humane childhood and end the epidemic of mental illness among youth.
Episode 304
It seems the world is on heightened alert about the impact smartphones are having on our children’s brains. But are we right to be worried? Jonathan Haidt’s book the Anxious Generation has played a big role in this debate, with many researchers agreeing smartphones cause harm and action needs to be taken. But is there actually any scientific evidence to back all of these claims up?
The “strongest evidence” for alien life was announced just a few weeks ago - but not everyone was happy with this discovery and it came under quite a lot of fire. The team that discovered this alien signal were analysing data from the James Webb Space Telescope. Now other researchers have looked at the same data and have come to different conclusions. But rather than proving critics right, it seems the evidence for aliens just got stronger.
A digital oak tree is on display at Kew Gardens in London. Of the Oak is an immersive installation by art collective Marshmallow Laser Feast in collaboration with ecologists, biologists and researchers. The aim is to show the inner workings of the oak, to allow people to connect more deeply with it and to tune into “tree time”.
Chapters:
(00:32) Are smartphones causing mental illness in teens?
(05:58) More evidence for alien life
(13:28) Of the Oak display at Kew
Hosted by Timothy Revell and Madeleine Cuff, with guests Jacob Aron, Alex Wilkins, Rowan Hooper, Ersin Han Ersin and Ruth Mitchell. To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/
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