“the younger the age of getting the first smartphone, the worse the mental health that the young adult reports today.”
Sapien Labs asked 18 to 24 year olds when they got their first smartphone and lined it up against their mental health scores. Younger phone, worse mental health, in every region surveyed, and stronger for women. It is self-reported survey data, and Haidt already has the legislative fix ready, from minimum ages to age verification. The data is a correlation. The policy pitch was written before it arrived.