6/16/2025

Thom Rainer writes that 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.

In his book The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt lays out disturbing trends with clarity and compassion.

From 2010 to 2020, major depression among boys rose by 161%.  Among girls, it increased by 145%.  Suicide attempts among girls surged 188%.

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.

The damage isn’t just emotional.  It’s physical too.  Smartphones are robbing 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.

Then there’s cyberbullying.  The smartphone has made bullying a 24/7 reality.  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.

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.  Face-to-face conversations have been traded for emojis and memes.

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.

Churches need to become part of the solution.  What if the local church became a refuge of real conversation, real connection, and real hope?

What have smartphones done to our young people?  The answer may be painful.  But the church must address the problem—and it must begin now.