The non-profit organization Sapien Labs conducted a study of 223,000 people in 34 countries between January 1 and December 31, 2021 to assess the impact of smartphone use on their mental health.
Psychological well-being at its peak in 2010, declining since
It shows that it is declining among young adults aged 18-24, a trend that had started before the pandemic. More specifically, this decline began after 2010, when the smartphone experienced strong growth in use. Prior to 2010, young adults achieved the highest levels of psychological well-being. Since then, it has only declined.
Social interactions down from x5 to x10 since the advent of the internet
Before the internet age, when an individual turned 18 they had spent between 15,000 and 25,000 hours interacting face-to-face with friends and family. But since the advent of the internet, this figure has been between 1,500 and 5,000 hours. This reduction in social interactions—amplified by smartphone use—prevents people from learning important skills like reading facial expressions, body language, touch, appropriate emotional responses, and conflict resolution.
Man is above all a sociable animal
Without these skills, people may feel detached from society and may even exhibit suicidal tendencies. In short, as with everything, know how to consume in moderation, and do not hesitate to see real humans in person. You'll see, in general, it's going pretty well. Montesquieu already affirmed it in the 18th century, man is a sociable animal...