

Kids These Days: The Impact of Tech, Social Media and AI on Adolescents
50 snips Aug 7, 2025
Join Lauren Greenfield, a renowned documentary photographer known for her work on American adolescents, Matt Richtel, a New York Times health reporter exploring tech's social impact, and Jack Thorne, an award-winning playwright tackling themes of toxic masculinity and social media. They delve into the alarming rise of mental health issues among teens exacerbated by technology. The conversation covers the fine line between connection and loneliness, the vulnerabilities of the adolescent brain, and essential strategies for parents to navigate this digital landscape.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Adolescent Mental Health Crisis
- More than one in three U.S. adolescents aged 18-25 have mental health disorders like anxiety and depression.
- There's a loneliness epidemic despite higher connectivity through technology.
Docuseries Reveals Teen Screen Struggles
- Lauren Greenfield's younger son struggled with screen addiction and mood swings during COVID, unlike her eldest.
- Lauren's son helped hack social media access for her docuseries to show authentic teen behavior.
Understanding Adolescent Brain Changes
- Adolescence spans puberty to independence, involving complex brain changes and information overload.
- Smartphones add context but did not create adolescent mental health challenges as they existed in prior decades.