Dr. Wendy Rote is joining me to unpack some surprising and even counterintuitive findings about kids, smartphones, and social media. She and her team are in the middle of a groundbreaking longitudinal study following tweens over time, giving us rare insight into how technology is shaping the mental health and identity development of Generation Alpha.

 

Together we explore:

 

• Why the question “Is social media making kids depressed?” might be the wrong one to ask and what we should be asking instead.

• A finding that might shock you: Kids with smartphones actually show better physical and mental health outcomes in some key areas.

• What kind of social media behaviors are linked to more depressive symptoms and why it’s not as simple as “time spent online.”

• How compulsive checking could be a major mental health red flag that parents often miss.

• New, not-yet-published finding on the real impact school cell phone bans have been shown to have on kids.

• Why do some kids without phones actually report more cyberbullying and what that might reveal about exclusion and social dynamics?

• The one tech rule that makes the biggest difference in kids’ well-being that has a greater impact that time limits and parental control setting.

 

If you’ve ever worried about screen time, debated a phone ban, or felt unsure how to support your child’s relationship with tech, this conversation will give you fresh perspective, surprising data, and tangible guidance rooted in real research.

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT MY GUEST:

👉🏻 Learn more about Dr. Wendy Rote's research on ResearchGate and Google Scholar

 

REVIEW THE STUDY:

📚 Life In Media Survey

 

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:

📚 The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt

 

🎧 Regulation, reward systems, and rest: Rewiring the way our kids interact with screens with Alé Duarte

 

MORE PODCAST EPISODES YOU MAY LIKE:

🎧 264. The hidden dangers of EdTech: How technology in schools impacts learning, child development, and mental health with Andy Liddell

 

🎧 242. Have phones displaced our ability to play and have fun? How to be intentional with your tech use with Catherine Price

 

🎧 103. Secure attachment vs. social media: Navigating their effects on body image from early childhood to teen years with Dr. Miriam Steele