This morning on NPR I heard a segment from a study documenting the correlations between smartphone usage and poor mental health, especially among those born between 1995–2012. Alongside this claim, the author of the study also claimed that the youngest generation (and younger millennials) is growing up more slowly, meaning that they are moving out of the house later, learning to drive later (if at all), having less sex, doing less drugs, and are less prepared for the adult world. The claim was that people are “children” longer.

Obviously, there may be some positives to this: less teen pregnancy and less drug use is hard to argue against. But less independence and less drive seems to be a negative side. Combined with the poor mental health that may or may not be caused/worsened by excessive smartphone usage, the youngest generation isn’t having great prospects from this perspective.

Have you had this experience with your own kids or have you observed it in young people you know?