Over the past decade, conversations about children, smartphones, and social media have become increasingly difficult to ignore. Parents, educators, researchers, and mental health professionals are asking similar questions: How is growing up online affecting young people? And what can we do to help?
These questions have become especially prominent as governments around the world consider restrictions on youth social media use. Australia recently introduced legislation limiting social media access for children under 16, and similar conversations are happening in other countries, including Canada.
At the centre of many of these discussions is a larger concern: the issue may not only be how much time young people spend on screens, but what experiences are being replaced.
In his book The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues that childhood has shifted from a more play-based experience toward a phone-based one. While researchers continue to discuss the complexity of social media’s effects, this idea raises an important question: how can we help young people develop healthy relationships with technology while protecting the experiences that support emotional development?
When discussing social media, it is easy to focus only on the number of hours spent online. However, the relationship between technology and mental health is more complicated.
Social media platforms are designed to keep users engaged. Features such as endless scrolling, notifications, and personalized recommendations encourage people to continue using them, often longer than they intended.
For young people whose brains are still developing, this can be particularly challenging.
Childhood and adolescence are important periods for developing skills such as emotional regulation, attention, independence, and self-control.
While technology itself is not necessarily harmful, concerns arise when online experiences begin replacing important parts of development, including sleep, face-to-face relationships, physical activity, creativity, and unstructured play.
Another concern surrounding social media is the way it changes social experiences.
Adolescence has always been a time when young people compare themselves to others and seek acceptance from peers. Social media can amplify this process by creating a space where popularity, appearance, achievements, and social experiences are constantly visible.
Young people may find themselves comparing their everyday lives to carefully selected versions of someone else’s. Over time, this can contribute to feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, or pressure to present themselves in a certain way.
Helping youth recognize that online content rarely reflects the full reality of someone’s life is an important part of developing healthier digital habits.
One of the key ideas discussed in The Anxious Generation is that addressing youth mental health involves more than simply removing phones. It also requires considering what children and teens need more of.
Independence, creativity, in-person friendships, and opportunities to navigate challenges are important parts of development. Through real-world experiences, young people practice problem-solving, managing emotions, building confidence, and connecting with others.
Creating healthier relationships with technology is not just about saying “less screen time”. It is also about making space for experiences that support growth.
As technology continues to evolve, families may benefit from focusing on balance rather than perfection.
Helpful strategies may include:
- Creating phone-free times or spaces
- Prioritizing sleep without devices nearby
- Encouraging hobbies and activities away from screens
- Supporting in-person friendships
- Having open conversations about online experiences
- Modelling healthy technology habits as adults
Rather than only asking, “How much time are kids spending online?” it may be helpful to ask, “What role is technology playing in their lives?”
Social media is unlikely to disappear, and technology will continue to be part of how young people learn and connect. The goal is not necessarily to remove technology entirely, but to help children and adolescents use it in ways that support their well-being.
By creating boundaries around technology while protecting opportunities for connection, independence, and play, we can help young people develop the skills they need both online and offline.
References and Further Reading:
Haidt, J. (2024).The anxious generation: How the great rewiring of childhood is causing an epidemic of mental illness. Penguin Press.
Lederman, M. (2026, June 9). Ban social media for young people? Good luck with that. The Globe and Mail. theglobeandmail.com
The Globe and Mail. (2026, June 8). Ottawa planning social media ban for users under 16.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-ottawa-social-media-ban-under-16-online-harms-bill/
