Before completing this week’s discussion posts, read the attached article from The Atlantic: Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation? With this article in mind, your initial discussion post should address the following prompts. Remember that your initial post should consist of full sentences, rather than a bulleted or numbered list:

• Do you agree with the author that smartphones have “destroyed” a generation? Be specific in your answer and provide 1-2 pieces of evidence (from your own experience is fine) to back-up your arguments.
• Were you surprised by the link between screen time and depression (we will discuss depression in adolescents much more in Ch. 13!)? Do you notice your own mood change when you spend a lot of time on social media?
  • Connect to class: What are some reasons why social media may INCREASE depression (be sure to also think about general ways that the media can be harmful to teens, as discussed in Ch. 7)?
  • Connect to class: What are some reasons why social media may DECREASE depression (be sure to also think about general ways that the media can be beneficial to teens, as discussed in Ch. 7)?
• Test yourself: Pick a day and try to avoid all screen time for 2 hours (this includes texting, snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, facetime, email…)
  • Were you able to last 2 hours?
  • Did you feel any different after avoiding screens, even for a small amount of time? If so, what changes did you feel? If not, why do you think that is?