Depression isn't Smartphone-Based

Twenge argues that smartphones are causing the rise in depression and anxiety in Gen Z, but Cavanagh argues that Twenge’s essay is biased and non-factual. Twenge appeals to fear in her essay by saying, “it’s not an exaggeration to describe iGen as being on the brink of the worst mental-health crisis in decades.” In addition to Twenge’s appeal to fear, Cavanagh discredits Twenge’s evidence as “cherry-picked,” “correlational,” and “largely ignore social contexts and how people differ.” Cavanagh disregards smartphones as the reason for the rise in mental illness, while Twenge emphasizes smartphones as our downfalls. I got my first smartphone during 5th grade. I remember sharing an iPod with my older brother before this. I used my smartphone to watch YouTube videos and make little crafts like making a panda using my Rainbow Loom. Using my smartphone to access videos on how to make anything I wanted, I tried out many, many art hobbies. I started baking mug cakes when I was nine, which turned into my ability to cook and bake years later. I think that having a smartphone as a child can be delightful in being creative and healthy at the same time. Despite creativity, the internet can lead to things children should not have access to. I think that too much knowledge about the bad things happening in the world can be mentally distressing for anyone, and I do not believe no knowledge is necessarily better. Global mental distress increased over bad things, especially when COVID-19 hit. I think I am the same amount attached to my phone as in 5th grade. Despite my attachment to it, I have gone a week here or there entirely without my phone. I would miss the absence of my phone a little bit, but one day is not the end of the world. I think the ultimate lesson on smartphones is something we already know and that moderation is healthy. Getting rid of smartphones or the internet is not the answer, but learning how to moderate and cope with the results of technology rather than against it is the answer. These articles stress the importance of unbiased data collection and assessment. Cherry-picking data to find only the data that supports my claim deteriorates my essay’s credibility.