Smartphones have become part of the fabric of modern life, but what toll do they take on younger generations’ mental health, focus, and ability to connect? Do they make them more anxious?

Jonathan Haidt’s book, The Anxious Generation, explores how smartphone use and social media reshape childhood development and mental wellbeing. It offers an urgent call to understand what’s at stake for Generation Z (born 1995 to 2009) and Generation Alpha (born 2010 to 2024), especially as they enter the workforce.

Mental health on the decline

Haidt’s research reveals a clear shift. Once-stable mental health trends in children and adolescents took a sharp downturn in the early 2010s, just as smartphones and social media became widespread.

Rates of anxiety, depression, ADHD and even bipolar disorder have surged, particularly among girls. University students report feeling more anxious, distracted, and emotionally overwhelmed, signs of deeper issues that now characterise a generation coming of age online.

The dangers of a ‘phone-based’ childhood?

Haidt identifies three key ways that smartphones alter childhood, and not for the better:

• Free play is disappearing. When children spend more time on screens, they lose out on unstructured, physical play. That limits their development of creativity, social cooperation, resilience, and risk-taking, all critical workplace skills.

• Emotional connection weakens. Digital interactions can’t teach emotional literacy. Young people get less practice reading non-verbal cues or building strong relationships, skills they’ll need to thrive at work.

• Social learning becomes distorted. A ‘likes and followers’ mindset skews how young people learn values, success, and self-worth. That can impact how they set goals, respond to feedback, and relate to colleagues and leaders.

At Understood, we know that behaviour change starts with human connection, and these early gaps in connection matter. Helping younger generations develop confidence, communication, and empathy is key to building safe, high-performing teams.

The great rewiring of childhood

Haidt calls this shift the Great Rewiring of Childhood. As smartphone use became near-universal by the mid-2010s, young people faced a tidal wave of constant digital connection. That shift has changed how they sleep, focus, interact, and cope.

Here’s how smartphones continue to affect childhood:

1. Social Deprivation: Face-to-face interactions among children have dwindled, replaced by digital interactions that often lack depth and authenticity. Parents, too, find themselves distracted by smartphones during family time, impacting the quality of interactions with their children.
2. Sleep Deprivation: Late-night smartphone use disrupts adolescents’ sleep patterns, leading to heightened levels of depression, anxiety, aggression, and impulse control issues.
3. Attention Fragmentation: Frequent notifications and constant digital stimuli hinder deep thinking and reflective engagement, potentially contributing to attention-related disorders like ADHD.
4. Addiction: Smartphones and social media platforms are designed to be addictive, particularly for young, impressionable minds. They exploit behavioural triggers and offer variable rewards, fostering compulsive usage and withdrawal symptoms.

What’s at risk in the workplace?

This isn’t just a youth issue. Smartphone overuse affects people of all ages – but for those raised in the digital age, the impact runs deeper.

Without support, tomorrow’s workforce may struggle with:

• Reduced social confidence

• Heightened anxiety

• Weakened resilience

• Poor sleep and fatigue

• Lower productivity and engagement

• Limited teamwork and communication skills

• Reduced attention spans and creativity

All of these factors can compromise safety, collaboration, and performance at work.

So what can we do?

We must act now. A joined-up, proactive approach is vital.

• Governments must implement stronger online safety laws.

• Tech companies need to design age-appropriate, ethical platforms.

• Parents and caregivers can set healthy boundaries and encourage more offline play.

• Employers can play a powerful role in bridging the gap – by supporting young people’s development and helping all staff manage digital distraction.

At Understood, we help people build stronger human connections – at work and beyond. Our tailored training programmes develop emotional intelligence, resilience, communication, focus, and behavioural safety.

We equip employees of all ages to thrive – not just survive – in a digital world. If your team feels overwhelmed, distracted, or anxious, we’re here to help.

Talk to us, explore our website, read our blog, and follow us on LinkedIn to learn more and discover ways to grow a more successful business.