Maiden Mother Matriarch with Louise Perry Don't Give Kids Smartphones! - Jean Twenge | Maiden Mother Matriarch Episode 174
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Nov 30, 2025 
Jean Twenge, a psychology professor and author known for her work on generational differences, discusses the alarming shifts in adolescent mental health linked to smartphones and social media since 2012. She highlights how device use has plunged teens into loneliness and depression, advocating for limits on screen time. Twenge also explores alternatives like basic phones to preserve youth well-being, emphasizing the need for enforceable rules over mere conversations about tech use. Parents are encouraged to foster community norms that prioritize healthier, more traditional interactions.
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2012 Was A Turning Point
- Smartphones and social media became dominant around 2012 and coincided with major changes in teen behaviour and mental health.
- Jean Twenge links the 2012 inflection to smartphones, changing social media and algorithms that capture attention.
Adolescence Has Shifted Offline
- Teens now spend far less time in person with friends and delay rites like driving, jobs and dating compared with earlier generations.
- Twenge observes these social transitions fell off a cliff after 2010–2011, replacing in-person life with screen time.
Rising Loneliness Tracks Screen Time
- Self-reported loneliness and depression rose as in-person interaction declined and device use rose.
- Twenge highlights increases in feeling left out, useless, and other classic depression symptoms among teens.
