This article discusses suicide. If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.
Back in 2017, psychologist and author Jean Twenge warned of a mental health crisis on the horizon. In her influential book iGen she warned that “iGen’er,” also known as Gen Z (born between the mid-to-late 1990s and the early 2010s) were “at the forefront of the worst mental health crisis in decades, with rates of teen depression and suicide skyrocketing since 2011.” Dr. Twenge’s hypothesis for the cause: smartphones and all the social media that come along with them.
There have been many other warnings about the impact of constant smartphone use—especially on young people. US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory last year in which he wrote that “frequent social media use may be associated with distinct changes in the developing brain in the amygdala (important for emotional learning and behavior) and the prefrontal cortex (important for impulse control, emotional regulation, and moderating social behavior), and could increase sensitivity to social rewards and punishments.”
Adolescent social media use is “predictive of a subsequent decrease in life satisfaction for certain developmental stages including for girls 11–13 years old and boys 14–15 years old,” Murthy added.
In his new book, The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argued that Gen Z experienced a “phone-based” childhood. “Gen Z got sucked into spending many hours of each day scrolling through the shiny happy posts of friends, acquaintances, and distant influencers.”
They became the first generation in history “to go through puberty with a portal in their pockets that called them away from the people nearby and into an alternative universe that was exciting, addictive, unstable, and […] unsuitable for children and adolescents,” Haidt wrote.
Ironically, social media websites and applications were developed to connect people online to share interesting content and to stay in touch. Many people now feel this has become somewhat of a devil’s bargain. Because we scroll on our phones all day long we don’t have time for actual human contact anymore.
The Most Disconnected Society Ever
In his recent Family Workshop presentation, Blanchard founder and CEO Ward Blanchard called social media the “ultimate disconnector” because we just don’t feel comfortable anymore having important conversations in person, even with our family members, our own children—we’d rather send text messages!
“We are the most connected/disconnected society ever,” he said and asked, “How many of you text each other in the same house, in the same room?” Blanchard appealed to fellow therapists not to avoid important conversations face-to-face with clients because of a fear that they may not like us or may get angry.
“We lost the ability to have crucial conversations from emotionally connected places—even in our own families,” Blanchard told the webinar. “Social Media takes you away from people. It takes you away from genuine relationships.”
The consequences have been devastating. Disconnection from other people may lead to depression, addiction, and suicidal ideation. The CDC’s 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that “mental health among students overall continues to worsen, with more than 40 percent of high school students feeling so sad or hopeless that they could not engage in their regular activities for at least two weeks during the previous year—a possible indication of the experience of depressive symptoms.” Blanchard pointed out how the adolescent suicide rates went up significantly “as soon as social media got into the palm of our hands.”
Within family systems, this kind of disconnection frequently leads to dysfunction. Family members obsessed with their social feeds are not communicating effectively. If an individual develops a substance use disorder, family members can play an important role in the recovery process.
Family members need to understand the complexities of addiction and their role in the recovery process. “Family members are trauma survivors,” explains Blanchard. They are encouraged to participate in developing individualized treatment plans, offering insights that might enhance the care provided. This collaboration ensures that the treatment strategies are comprehensive and consider all aspects of the patient’s life, including family relationships.
The Blanchard Institute cultivates a safe, comfortable environment for clients and their families across North Carolina. Our recovery management and alumni programs support a life-long recovery. Your journey to recovery doesn’t end with day or outpatient treatment, once you’re with Blanchard, we’re always there for you.
Our admissions process is discrete, confidential, and non-invasive. Call us at (704) 288-1097—our experienced admissions specialists will guide you through the process and treat you with the dignity and compassion you deserve.