📱 Teen anxiety and tech: What’s happening and what should we do?

A certain topic has been cropping up consistently of late in many of my go-to news outlets and email newsletters: The connection between teen mental health and technology. 

A widely publicized new book by NYU business school professor Jonathan Haidt seems to be driving the media hype. The Anxious Generation explores the idea that “play-based childhood” has been replaced by “phone-based childhood” — resulting in rising rates of adolescent depression and mental illness across the country. 

The argument 

He cites a lot of compelling evidence in his book and interviews, including:

• Depression and anxiety rates among American teens increased by more than 50% from 2010 to 2019.

• CDC data shows that the suicide rate for kids aged 10 to 14 tripled between 2007 and 2021.

• Rising depression has affected teens far more than adults during the past decade. 

At the same time:

• Teens on average see their friends about half as often as they did in the early 2000s.

• They spend nearly five hours per day on social media apps.

• On TikTok — one of the most popular apps — harmful content is very easy to find.

Other viewpoints 

Not every expert agrees with Haidt’s evaluation. 

For example, Tom Chivers of Semafor Media suggests that kids should be using phones — they’ve become one of their main tools for socialization. He says we should simply be helping them to navigate this new era.  

Best-selling author and “habit guru” Nir Eyal disagrees with Haidt about the cause of the crisis, but the two are in lock-step on potential solutions for parents and teens:

• Sleep: Keep devices out of the bedroom at night to prevent sleep disruption.

• Age: Delay giving kids access to social media platforms until high school. 

• Time: Agree and adhere to a daily time budget for recreational screen time. 

If you’re interested in digging in a bit further, here’s a CBS News segment featuring Haidt and here’s the New York Times book review of The Anxious Generation.

✅ Weigh in: At what age should kids get their own smartphones? Answer here and we’ll share the results in our next newsletter.

📰 News to use

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☑️ Regular maintenance: If the national news has you wondering about the health of local bridges, Kane County shared insights into its bridge inspection processes for ensuring structural integrity.

☑️ Entrepreneurial genius: Fermilab officials recently honored 16 inventors who were associated with 12 new patents issued in 2023.

☑️ Valuable info: The St. Charles Township Assessor wants residents to know about a Home Improvement Exemption that could provide significant tax relief on certain projects.

🔒 Movie mania: Get your first look at the lineup for St. Charles’ upcoming AfterImage Film Festival, a four-day experience that will showcase more than 20 prestigious films.

☑️ Use protection: Illinois optometrists offered their expert advice about how you and your kids can safely view Monday’s eclipse without damaging your eyes.

🔒 Taking a position: State Sen. Don DeWitte from St. Charles recently penned an opinion piece arguing that the grocery tax repeal will hurt Illinois taxpayers more than it helps them.

🏘️ In the community

☑️ Heroic efforts: Chip In Batavia has been busy helping local families in need, executing a successful Prom Dress Giveaway, helping a mom of seven gain housing and even facilitating a car donation!

☑️ Summer jams: The STC Business Alliance is looking for businesses interested in hosting live music performances when STC Live! events begin in June. Here’s how to get involved.

☑️ Get ‘em outside: Outdoorsy kids already eyeing summer? Consider enrolling them in one of Kane County’s summer camps featuring hikes, games and a variety of fun nature activities.

☑️ Flushing schedule: Geneva will be flushing fire hydrants Monday through Friday of next week — you can monitor progress for your neighborhood here.

☑️ Wilson/Prairie project: New excavation work begins on Wilson Street today and will begin for Prairie Street on Tuesday. Use caution when navigating the Batavia intersection.

☑️ Brush Collection: Geneva Zone 1 collection is underway, with Zone 2 starting Monday. In Batavia, east side collection begins Monday and west side the following week. St. Charles’ collection will be the weeks of 4/15 and 4/22.

🎸 Live music 

We’ve got another weekend chock-full of music staring us in the face — including the return of live music to Pal Joey’s in Batavia with Jay Cherry performing on Friday.

Also wanted to give a shout-out to Ripped Jeans Duo. We saw them perform at Tanna Tap last weekend; they may be young, but they rocked it.

🗞️ From the archives: STC Municipal Plaza

The historical marker above — which was installed on the St. Charles Municipal Center Plaza 11 years ago — recaps more than a century of history at the site.

The riverfront location holds a significant place in St. Charles' past, bearing witness to destructive fires, the rise of renowned architecture and even a Main Street train accident.

🗓️ Events + things to do

The 🎟️ symbol indicates an admission fee.

☑️ Norris Woods Induction Ceremony | Saturday, 1PM | Norris Woods, St. Charles | Celebrate Norris Woods’ designation as an old-growth forest with a special ceremony and scenic wooded hike.

☑️ "Telling Her Story" Opening Celebration | Saturday, 1-4PM | Water Street Studios, Batavia | Check out a unique exhibition featuring 90+ local artists plus a cash bar.

☑️ Fairy Garden Festival | Saturday+Sunday | Heinz Bros Garden Center, STC | An imaginative, family-friendly event with scavenger hunts, giveaways and custom fairy garden creation.

☑️ Solar Eclipse Viewing Parties | Monday | STC Public Library, 1-3PM | American Science & Surplus, 11:30AM-4:30PM | Red Oak Nature Center, 12-3PM

🎟️ Hop Notch Beer Dinner | Monday, 6PM | The Graceful Ordinary, STC | TGO is teaming up with Riverlands Brewing for a five-course feast with beer pairings. Registration required.

☑️ The History of Willie Nelson | Monday, 7-8PM| STC Public Library | A local music historian will delve into the storied musician’s career.

🌖 Weather snapshot

🌨️ Today: High 41F | Low 32F | More wintry mix

🌤️ Friday: High 47F | Low 27F | Brisk but sun

🌤️ Saturday: High 52F | Low 31F | Springlike!

🌤️ Sunday: High 51F | Low 44F | Gusty

📖 How am I doing?

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About: You can learn more about TCC here.