第3篇teens and screens原文独霸妖怪3月精读社微博lexie英语窝

Ageneration’smoodTeensandscreens

Cuttingadolescents’useofsmartphonesandsocialmediaisapoorsolutiontotheirproblems.

FIRSTtheywentfortobacco,coalandsugar.Nowtheyaretargetin artphonesandsocialmedia.OnJanuary6thtwolargeinvestorsinAppledemandedthatthetechnology musthelpparentscurtailtheirchildren’s use,citingresearchintothelinksbetweenadolescentsocial-mediahabitsandriskfactorsforsuicide,suchasdepression.Oldandnewmediaaboundwithreportsaboutphones’addictive,mind-warproperties.Ontheschoolrun,parentscomparetacticsforlimitingscreentime.

Somethinghasmadetoday’steenagersdifferentfromteenagersinthepast.Aswellasbeingfarmoretemperateandbetter-behaved,theyseemmoreanxiousandunhappy.SchoolsurveysbytheOECD,aclubofmostlyrichcountries,suggestthat15-year-oldsfindithardertomakefriends.InAmerica—though,phone-bashersshouldnote,notintherichworldasawhole—suicidesofyoungpeopleareup.

Be ampedingfortheoffswitch,parentsandothersshouldasktwoquestions.First,are s,andsoonactuallytoblameforadolescents’problems?

Second,willcurtailingtheirusedomuchgood?Ontheavailableevidence,theanswersare,respectively,maybeandno.

SomestudiesofBritainandAmerica,whichconductlargesurveysofyoungpeople,havefoundcorrelationsbetweenheavytechnologyuseandunhappiness.Correlationisnotcausation,however:itcouldbethatunhappypeopleseekrefugeonline.Andthecorrelationsareveryweak.Onlyabout1%ofthevariabilityinyoungpeople’smentalwellbeingcanbeexinedbysocial-mediaorsmartphoneuse.OneBritishstudysuggeststhateatingbreakfastregularlyismorethanthreetimesasimportant.

Perhapstechnologyhasmessedupallyoungpeople,eventhosewhoabstainfromit.Maybeitmakeseveryonefeelleftout,orthwartsallintimateconnections:ifyourfriendisalwayslookingatherphone,itmaynotmattermuchwhetheryouare.Butiftheeffectsaresoamorphousitishardtoknowwhattodo.Shouldparentsganguponteenagersasagroupanden auniversalcrackdown?Shouldtheydealwiththeinevitablechargeofunfairnessbyapplyingthesamerestrictionstothemselves?Goodluckwiththat.

Parentswhoworryabouttheirteenageoffspring(whichistosay,allparents)candosomething,however.Prodthemoutofthehouse,andworryabitlessaboutwhattheygetupto.Thereisplentyofevidenceforthecheeringeffectsofhangingoutwithfriends.Yetyoungstersare nglessofthis.Over-protectiveparentsareprobablyonereason.

Socialpressureisanother.Itisrevealingofbroaderattitudesthat,inBritain,“teenagershangingoutonthestreets”isastandardmeasureof ocialbehaviour.TheauthoritativeCrimeSurveyofEnglandandWalesaskspeoplewhetheritisaproblemwheretheylive,alongsidethingssuchasdrugdealingandburnt-outcars.Thattherateofadolescenthanging-outhasdroppedfrom33%to16%intenyearsmaypleasecriminologists,butisunlikelytosignalhappierteenagers.

Putthemtowork

Alastcauseofteenageangstcouldbetheeconomyandthejobmarket.Thegreatrecessionhityoungpeopleharderthanothers.Someteenagersbelievetheyface

crushingcompetition,notonlyfromtheirpeersbutfromforeignersandrobots.Allthemorereasonforernmentstoworkonimprovingschoolsandtogetridofjobprotectionforolderworkers.Teenagers,fortheirpart,couldprobablyhandleabitmorework.Eventhoughisa