Teens in crisis

A new study released this month found that teens and young adults are facing epidemic rates of anxiety and depression, and psychologists fear the effects of technological screens are to blame.

The report, published March 14 in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, analyzes more than a decade of data from the National Survey on Drugs and Health, a large representative survey of 600,000 adults and adolescents administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The researchers found rates of depression and serious psychological distress as well as suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts, and deaths by suicides have all increased since the mid-2000s. They also found the increases were primarily driven by adolescents and young adults ages 25 and younger, with a more pronounced increase among girls.

Major depression among 20- to 21-year-olds more than doubled, from 7 percent to 15 percent, from 2009 to 2015. In a similar time frame, depression among 16- to 17-year-olds increased by 69 percent, and serious psychological distress among 18- to 25-year-olds jumped by 71 percent. Twice as many 22- to 23-year-olds attempted suicide in 2017 compared to 2008. By 2017, 1 in 5 teens ages 12 to 17 had experienced major depression in the previous year.

The report states that the cause of the trend is unknown. But the research team, led by San Diego State University professor Jean Twenge, said some explanations were less likely than others. A troubled economy and job loss probably didn’t cause the problem, because the spike in mental health issues occurred during a period of economic expansion and falling unemployment. Drug and alcohol use among adolescents and teens has held steady or decreased, making substance abuse an unlikely explanation. Academic pressure is also off the table—teens today spend less time on homework than in the 1990s. And the researchers concluded the trend is distinct from the opioid epidemic, which has largely affected people older than 25.

Some experts have argued young people today admit having mental health issues more readily than in the past. But the report noted that more openness does not explain why suicide rates, which are not dependent on self-reporting, also increased.

Instead, the researchers theorized that an increase in electronic communication and digital media—like social media and gaming—were the culprit. They cited studies showing that individuals who spend more time on social media and less time with others report feeling more depressed, and that general internet use is associated with depression, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts and behavior.

Another potential explanation is also tied to technology use: sleep deprivation. Sleep duration among U.S. adolescents is declining, insomnia is on the rise, and a growing body of research has found time spent on portable electronic devices, especially in the evening, leads to shortened sleep duration and poorer sleep quality. Lack of sleep contributes to depressive symptoms, forming a vicious cycle.

“No matter the cause, the rise in mental health issues among teens and young adults deserves attention, not a dismissal as a ‘myth,’” Twenge wrote in a commentary for The Conversation website. “With more young people suffering—including more attempting suicide and more taking their own lives—the mental health crisis among American young people can no longer be ignored.”

Twenge released another study this month that found the amount of time teens spend face-to-face with their friends is the lowest since researchers started collecting data in the 1970s. They go to fewer hangouts, to fewer parties, on fewer dates, and spend less time driving, shopping, or going to the movies, but not because they are busy. Teens today hold fewer jobs and don’t spend significantly more time engaged in extracurricular activities.

What are they doing instead? They’re on their phones.

The result is that teens are lonelier today than at any other time since 1977. And it appears all the text messages, Snapchats, and Instagram “likes” in the world are not making up for it. Although technology promises instant connection to people at the touch of a finger, God created us for community, and science is finding that digital community is not an equal substitute.

“There’s something about being around another person, about touch, about eye contact, about laughter—that can’t be replaced by digital communication,” wrote Twenge.