For those of you who don't allow your teen to have a smart phone

[Anonymous]

The growing teen mental health crisis and vaping/drug crisis is deeply connected to the rise of smartphones and social media. These platforms expose kids to negative influences, addictive algorithms, and content that can be harmful to their developing brains. The digital world is not neutral—it’s designed to pull teens in, keep them scrolling, and often leaves them more anxious, isolated, and distracted from real life.

Families can take steps to protect their children. Resources like Scrolling2Death and the 10,000 Hours Outside podcast and Instagram page are excellent for learning more about the dangers of overexposure to screens. The book The Anxious Generation is also a must-read for parents who want to understand what’s happening and how to fight back. Practical tools such as Bark can provide essential surveillance and monitoring for technology use at home.

It’s also important to note that while parents can (and should) set up safety controls on personal devices, children and teens still have access to school-issued devices, which have inadequate safety controls. This leaves them vulnerable during the school day to the very harms parents are working to protect them from at home. Schools need to invest more in protecting children online and limiting screen use during school.

The reality is that the digital world can be very dangerous for teens, and it’s critical that families, schools, and communities work together to create healthier, safer environments for our kids to grow up in.