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Podcast: Plain English with Derek Thompson
Episode: Are Smartphones Really Driving the Rise in Teenage Depression?
Description: Todayâa closer critical look at the relationship between smartphones and mental health. One of the themes weâve touched on more than any other on this show is that American teenagersâespecially girlsâappear to be âengulfedâ in historic rates of anxiety and sadness. The numbers are undeniable. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which is published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, showed that from 2011 to 2021, the share of teenage girls who say they experience âpersistent feelings of sadness or hopelessnessâ increased by 50 percent.But there is a fierce debate about why this is happening. The m...