my response to the New Yorker article "Can We Get Kids Off Smartphones?" by Jessica winter

Just like how a knife isn’t inherently bad, Ssmartphones are not dangerous for teens because they are not inherently bad. It depends on what the owner decides to do with it. There is no denying that teens who grew up with phones and use them regularly have various mental health problems and struggle to function properly with their peers and the rest of society. “Studies show that the more kids use social media, the more likely they are to experience anxiety and depression; girls, Black children, and L.G.B.T.Q. youth are hit hardest. (Boys over all, hypnotized by porn and video games, don’t fare hugely better than girls.)” I think that we need to be more aware of the dangers and start enforcing screen time more, especially with younger kids., It’s not the smartphone that is dangerous, it is our ignorance and lack of cautiousness that is. 

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