What have smartphones done to our young people?

I love my grandchildren. I worry about them too.

They’re growing up in homes filled with love, stability, and the Gospel. They have two parents who are committed to each other and to raising their children with purpose. They have grandparents who dote on them, cheer for them, and pray over them. In short, they are blessed. 

But even with these blessings, my grandkids are not immune to the challenges facing their generation. Like nearly every other young person today, they carry something in their pocket that may be harming them more than they realize.

Get Our Latest News for FREE

Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know.

The smartphone.

The appendage

This ubiquitous device has become a cultural appendage. For Generation Z and Gen Alpha, the smartphone isn’t just a tool — it’s a lifestyle. And that lifestyle is quietly rewiring their brains, stealing their sleep, shrinking their confidence, and fueling a mental health crisis that cannot be ignored.

Let me be blunt. Smartphones are hurting our kids.

We first noticed the shift around 2010. Apple had released the first iPhone a few years prior, but it wasn’t until the iPhone 4 — with its front-facing camera and social media compatibility — that things began to change rapidly. By 2013, most American households had a smartphone, and the rates of anxiety, depression, and self-harm among teenagers began to skyrocket.

Coincidence? Hardly.

The turning point

In his powerful book The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt lays out the disturbing trends with clarity and compassion. He points to the smartphone era as a major turning point in the mental health of our youth. And the data backs him up.

From 2010 to 2020, major depression among boys rose by 161%. Among girls, it increased by 145%. Even more sobering, suicide attempts among girls surged 188%. These aren’t just numbers. These are lives — precious, valuable lives — caught in a digital trap they don’t know how to escape.

One reason the smartphone is so damaging is its ability to keep young people constantly connected — and constantly comparing. Social media platforms, turbocharged by smartphone access, have created a culture where worth is measured in likes, followers, and filtered images. For many teens, especially girls, their phone becomes a mirror that always whispers, “You’re not enough.”

The pressure to curate a perfect online persona leads to exhaustion, low self-esteem, and a fear of missing out. When their worth is tethered to digital affirmation, every missed like can feel like a rejection. Every scroll becomes a silent judgment.

But the damage isn’t just emotional. It’s physical too.

Smartphones are robbing our young people of sleep. The blue light from screens disrupts melatonin production, the hormone that regulates sleep. And since teens are already prone to irregular sleep patterns, the effect is amplified. Chronic sleep deprivation impairs memory, concentration, and decision-making. It also fuels mood disorders and increases the risk of depression.

Cyberbullying

And then there’s cyberbullying.

The smartphone has made bullying a 24/7 reality. Home is no longer a safe refuge. The mean words and cruel taunts follow kids into their bedrooms and through the night. Unlike schoolyard bullying, which ends with the final bell, cyberbullying is relentless — and often anonymous.

We now know that victims of cyberbullying are at significantly higher risk for anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. And yet, many parents remain unaware of just how deeply their child’s smartphone use is affecting their well-being.

Addiction and privacy lost

We haven’t even mentioned the addictive nature of smartphones. The never-ending stream of notifications, the dopamine hit from a new message or like, the endless scroll of content — these features aren’t accidental. They’re engineered for addiction.

As a result, physical activity among young people has declined. Screen time has replaced outdoor play. Face-to-face conversations have been traded for emojis and memes. Relationships are thinner. Attention spans are shorter. And bodies are paying the price.

Finally, there’s the issue of privacy. Our young people are growing up in a world where everything is shared — and nothing is truly forgotten. What they post today could resurface years later, shaping job opportunities, relationships, and reputations. They’re building a digital footprint they don’t yet understand, but one they will live with for the rest of their lives.

First steps

So what do we do?

We must start by acknowledging the problem. Denial only delays healing. Then, we must educate parents, pastors, and church leaders to understand what’s really happening. This isn’t about being anti-technology. It’s about being pro-child.

We also need to help churches become part of the solution. What if the local church became the one place in a teenager’s life that wasn’t tethered to a screen? What if it became a refuge of real conversation, real connection, and real hope?

I still believe in the next generation. And I still believe in the local church. But both need help. And it starts by asking the hard question: What have smartphones done to our young people?

The answer may be painful. But the response must be pastoral — and it must begin now.

Originally published at Church Answers.