The iGeneration-Growing Up in the Age of the Smartphone

Jean Twenge, Ph.D is Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University, author of iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood--and What That Means for the Rest of Us Dr. Twenge discussed the mental health and development of iGen, the first generation to spend their entire adolescence in the age of the smartphone. With social media and texting replacing other activities, she said Americans born between 1995 and 2012 spend less time with their friends in person and are experiencing unprecedented levels of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and suicide. She said iGen is growing up more slowly than previous generations, as reflected in delayed experiences with driving, dating, finding a job, drinking, and sex. She offered advice for parents.