The ills of social media and smartphone use have been harped upon ad nauseum -- often in some kind of anecdote picturing a bunch of teens around a table, noses firmly pressed into their phones, ignoring each other and oblivious to the world around them.

It can be a little disingenuous, but there is truth to the analogy -- even if the truth is more abstract than literal. While on the surface the use of technology may seem social and fulfilling, the long-term effects of constant smartphone (and by virtue of that, social media) use are little understood, said Jack Hinrichs, a licensed therapist based out of New Brighton and the director of education and training for Nystrom & Associates LTD.

Though, he noted, the initial prognosis is bleak.

As part of our Stop Suicide Series, listen as Brainerd Dispatch reporter Gabe Lagarde interviews Hinrichs on adolescent mental health and how social media and smartphone use plays a role.

Host: Gabe Lagarde

Producer: Chelsey Perkins

Guest: Jack Hinrichs

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