Teenage Trends

​Jean Twenge in the Atlantic:

I'm skeptical of the article’s framing around big generational differences - we study cohorts not “generations,” as there’s too much variation within “generations.” Plus, there's hedging around the magnitude of the effects, which is unfortunate (“much of this [mental health] deterioration can be traced to their phones.” Really- “much”?). But the graphs are cool and the trends seem stark. Note the shifting y-axes though. “The intro of iPhone” might be related to the trends, or it might not be. The decline in adequate sleep, for instance, occurs between 2012 and ’15, well after the introduction of smartphones. Not enough sleep seems like a direct contributor to mental health problems, and it's not obvious that smartphones are a cause here. I would be curious to read more on selection into heavy smart phone usage.  ​