Summary of the Key Points
This article discusses the risks associated with teenagers using smartphones and social media. The main argument is that adolescents, due to their underdeveloped prefrontal cortex (which does not fully mature until the age of 25), lack self-control and are easily influenced by the algorithmic designs in these devices, especially on social media. Social media amplifies emotions and weakens rational thinking through mechanisms such as likes and algorithmic recommendations, potentially leading to a state of "structural stupidity." The root cause of children's addiction is the fulfillment of unmet emotional needs—such as a sense of presence, control, and achievement. Parents should not completely ban smartphones but rather implement transitional supervision, withholding full ownership until the child's prefrontal cortex has matured.
Why Are Teenagers More Vulnerable to Smartphone Temptations?
You can think of the prefrontal cortex in the brain as the "brake" for self-control—responsible for impulse inhibition and delayed gratification (for example, resisting the urge to use a phone while studying). However, this "brake" does not fully develop until the age of 25, making teenagers naturally less capable of restraining themselves compared to adults.
The "forbidden fruit" effect makes things worse: the more you try to stop someone from using something, the more they want to do it. For instance, children who were strictly prohibited from using phones in middle school often become addicted once they are no longer under supervision in college, spending their first semester binge-watching videos and playing games to make up for the time lost. Therefore, extreme control is not the solution; smartphones should eventually be given to children, but only when their "brakes" are strong enough.
How Does Social Media Make People More Emotional?
Social media is designed to amplify emotions, particularly anger and anxiety:
- Like buttons: In the past, praising someone required writing a comment, which involved thinking. Now, a simple like provides instant approval or rejection, making interactions more superficial and less likely to provoke in-depth reflection.
- Algorithmic recommendations: Platforms do not display content in chronological order but instead show what is most likely to stir emotions (such as arguments, gossip, or extreme opinions) because these types of content keep users engaged longer. Rational and mild content (like an in-depth article) may be overlooked by the algorithms.
- Sharing features: Emotions like anger can spread rapidly online; a post criticizing a teacher can be shared thousands of times within minutes, drawing more people into the debate.
The result is a society where rational voices are silenced, and emotional reactions dominate—the so-called "structural stupidity." It's not that people have become stupid, but rather the platform structure forces them to act emotionally.
The Truth About Free Apps: Your Attention Is a Commodity
Free apps like TikTok, WeChat, and REDnote treat you as a commodity. They earn money by harvesting your attention. For example, if you spend an hour watching videos, the platform can sell that traffic to advertisers for a profit.
To keep users engaged, platforms use various tactics: endless scrolling in videos, daily rewards in games, and unread message notifications on social media that encourage interaction. These are all "dopamine traps" designed by clever engineers using psychology and neuroscience. Even adults struggle to resist these (for example, you might start watching videos for 5 minutes but end up spending 2 hours), let alone children with weaker self-control.
Children Are Not Addicted to Phones, But to a "Spiritual Sanctuary"
Many parents think their children's addiction is just about being playful, but the real issue is that their emotional needs are not being met:
- Children may be enrolled in numerous tutoring classes and never experience the joy of being fully engrossed in something they enjoy.
- Parents at home focus only on academic performance and ignore their emotional needs.
- They may have no friends at school or no one to join them during physical education classes.
In such cases, games or social media become a refuge: children can feel a sense of presence by leading teams in games or finding like-minded peers online. Forcing them to give up phones or cut off internet access is like taking away their only source of emotional comfort, which can lead to hysterical resistance.
What Should Parents Do?
Parents should not let their children fight algorithms alone. Silicon Valley elites are well aware of the dangers of smartphones—Steve Jobs didn't allow his children to use iPads, and Elon Musk limits his own children's internet usage. Here are some steps parents can take:
- Do Not Give Full Ownership: Before high school, children can use phones for research and communication, but they should not have full access to social media accounts.
- Implement Transitional Supervision: Set limits on screen time or use parental control features on smartphones.
- Meet Emotional Needs: Help children find activities they enjoy (such as sports or hobbies) and spend more time with them to build a sense of presence and achievement in real life. This will reduce their reliance on phones.
Remember, our responsibility is not to wait until children fall into problems but to hold onto them before they even start. It's fine to let them take control of their phones when they are 25 and have developed sufficient self-control.
(Continued tomorrow: "How to Restore Children's Lost Focus." Stay tuned for the next installment.)