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Ellis, Margo Lee

A Reflection On Gender Representation In The History Of Bluegrass Music

Hansen, Ellen

Reporting on Access to Healthcare in Rural Licking County, Ohio

Shafqat, Shizza Fatima

Re-Imagining Sirkap:Mapping History and Exposing Bias in AI

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Population and Colony Level Relatedness in Eusocial Shrimp Synalpheus chacei

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Iron-Catalyzed Brown Carbon in Mixed Films at the Air-Water Interface

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Long-Distance Daughter

McNeal, Emily

Exile 
Volume 72 Number 1 Article 10 
Hawk 
Emily McNeal 
Denison University 
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14 
Hawk 
Emily Mcneal 
 
The hawk 
Circles 
Wings as taut as wooden spoons 
Stirring a soup that will go to waste 
The sun seeps through – the hawk 
Circles 
Shredding the fallen sunlight 
Into streamers draped over trees 
Knotted through feathers – the hawk 
Circles 
Visions of earth caught and snatched 
Through the thinning choke of clouds 
The hawk circles over – the earth 
Stays 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


English

Hawk

Lishack, Eli

Exile 
Volume 72 Number 1 Article 21 
Deep Sea Oil Rig 
Eli Lishack 
Denison University 
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26 
Deep Sea Oil Rig 
Eli Lishack 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Deep Sea Oil Rig

Linh Dang, Nhat

Prologue: A First-Year Writing Journal 
Volume 16 Article 2 
Beyond the Screen: A Critique of Haidt’s Phone-Based Childhood 
Narrative 
Nhat Linh Dang 
Denison University 
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Linh Dang, Nhat () "Beyond the Screen: A Critique of Haidt’s Phone-Based Childhood Narrative," Prologue: 
A First-Year Writing Journal: Vol. 16, Article 2. 
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Commons. For more information, please contact eresources@denison.edu. 
 
Beyond the Screen: A Critique of Haidt’s Phone-Based 
Childhood Narrative 
Nhat Linh Dang 
This paper was originally developed for a COMM 280 taught by Dr. Jeff Kurtz.  
 
While each generation faces its own challenges, the rise in mental health concerns among 
Gen Z has sparked widespread debate, including Jonathan Haidt - social psychologist, arguing 
smartphones and social media as the primary causes. In The Atlantic, Haidt views that the shift 
to a "phone-based childhood,” beginning in the early 2010s, has had terrible costs for adolescent 
development, leading to a significant increase in rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and 
suicide among Generation Z (p. 7). Although his assertions have ignited necessary conversations 
about the intersection of technology and well-being regarding a decline in mental health, they 
oversimplify a complex issue by disproportionately attributing mental health issues to 
smartphones while ignoring other potential factors, such as financial, cultural, and familial 
challenges. The rise in reported mental health issues reflects broader societal dynamics in terms 
of media literacy shortage, domestic concerns, and personal awareness rather than just the 
negative impacts of smartphones. 
Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist and Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical 
Leadership at NYU’s Stern School of Business, playing a leading role in raising awareness about 
the negative consequences of technology devices on youth growth. In The Atlantic, Haidt 
contends that the beginning of a “phone-based childhood” was marked in the early 2010s, in 
which widespread smartphone use and addictive social media dramatically reshaped human’s 
engagement. He links this shift to the rise in depression, anxiety, and suicide rates among teens 
in developed countries and calls for a “dramatic cultural correction” to move away from this 
digital upbringing and reestablish conditions that support healthier and more resilient youth. 
Haidt frames rising mental health reports as proof of a “crisis,” a sharp increase in mental 
health issues like depression, anxiety, and suicide, alongside declines in social interaction, 
academic achievement, and overall flourishing, but overlooks progress in society and culture. 
Not only being the first generation that grew up with smartphones up till now, Gen Z is also the 
first generation to experience mental health awareness as a societal priority, serving as an 
open-minded generation to mental diagnosis and reports instead of an unprecedented mental 
 
 
2 
 
health crisis (Patel, 2025). A survey conducted by Pew Research (2024) found that almost 70% 
of Gen Z in the US feels comfortable discussing their mental wellness, which is a shift that 
marks a powerful step toward an accepting and understanding society. By attributing increased 
reporting with increased prevalence, Haidt stigmatized a generation’s willingness to confront 
mental health openly, misrepresenting societal and cultural progress and undermining efforts to 
normalize mental health care. 
Additionally, the correlation between smartphone use and mental health decline does not 
prove causation. Economic instability, academic stress, and domestic dynamics significantly 
influence mental health (APA, 2020). For instance, the 2008 financial crisis left lasting scars, 
anxiety and despair on families along with Gen Z entering adulthood. Similarly, academic 
pressures have intensified due to standards, competitive admissions, parents’ expectations, 
contributing to burnout long before smartphones dominated daily life. Especially with the 
development of AI, the pressure is duplicated as schools and workplaces have higher standards 
and expectancies in accuracy, innovation, and quality of the outcomes. In Haidt’s arguments, 
historical patterns have been dismissed as television, video games, and rock music are blamed 
for societal ills without conclusive evidence. Rather than addressing root causes, Haidt's  
narrative shifts the attention solely to screens, which could be seen as him disregarding the  
complex state of modern anxieties. 
While Haidt highlights the risks of overusing technology, he underestimates its benefits, 
especially for mental health support and marginalized groups. According to the Trevor Project 
(2023), LGBTQ+ youth are five times less likely to attempt suicide when connected to online 
support networks, such as groupchat with online friends and people in the community. Gen Z 
takes advantage of technology by actively using these platforms for activism, learning, creativity, 
and building online connections, which are aspects Haidt fails to acknowledge. Moreover, online 
communities can offer significant benefits to children by helping them build friendships and 
develop social skills. Especially for those who may feel isolated or have difficulties in 
face-to-face interactions, these platforms boost children's confidence by providing a controlled 
environment where they can practice social interactions without the immediate pressures of 
in-person communication (Daly, 2025). Recognizing technology’s dual role either as a risk or a 
resource is essential to form a balanced discussion. The problem lies not in smartphones 
themselves but mostly in the lack of media literacy and how they are actually used.  
3 
 
 
Blaming smartphones ignores the need for media literacy education and responsible 
design reforms. Haidt proposed a solution to the “crisis” being smartphone access restriction 
that ignores the importance of digital literacy and users’ responsibility. His suggestion of 
delaying smartphone use until adolescents are "developmentally ready"- at the age of 16 risks 
creating a digital divide by limiting access to essential digital skills and social networks. Unequal 
access to digital devices may make children under the age of 16 fall behind in acquiring basic 
virtual navigation, communication, and educational resources. I contend that technology is 
crucial to modern life, and thus teaching young people to use it wisely prepares them for the 
future is a more effective solution to the problem. Moreover, solutions like phone-free schools 
only address symptoms, not causes. Why not invest in systemic fixes such as smaller class sizes, 
mental health programs, or inclusive curricula? Instead of prohibition, fostering digital literacy in 
terms of critical thinking, privacy management, and balanced use would empower youth to 
navigate technology responsibly. 
To conclude, while Haidt raises valid concerns about the negative consequences of 
smartphones, his arguments oversimplify Gen Z’s mental health issues by overlooking cultural, 
economic, and family factors. Addressing a generation’s challenges requires moving beyond 
short-term solutions to embrace comprehensive solutions, including media literacy priority, 
accessible mental healthcare, and personal awareness. By tackling the root causes holistically in 
terms of enhancing digital literacy and personal awareness, society can better support Gen Z in 
navigating a rapidly changing world. 
 
References 
American Psychological Association. (2020). “Stress in America 2020: A national mental health 
crisis.” https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2020/report  
Daly, K. (2025, February 17). “How online communities can help children: From friendships to 
confidence building.” HELLO! Magazine.  
https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/mother-and-baby/511582/online-comm
unit ies-help-children-benefit-friendships-confidence/  
Haidt, J. (2024). “The terrible costs of a phone-based childhood.” The Atlantic.  
 
 
4 
 
Patel, R. (n.d.). “Gen Z and mental health: Understanding the challenges and how they’re 
coping.” Your Therapy Lounge. 
https://yourtherapylounge.com/articles-mental-health/gen-z-mental-health-therapy?  
Pasquini, G. (2024, May 2). “Who do Americans feel comfortable talking to about their mental 
health?” Pew Research Center. 
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/05/02/who-do-americans-feel-comfortable
-tal king-to-about-their-mental-health/  
The Trevor Project. (2023). “2023 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young 
People.” https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2023/ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5 


Beyond the Screen: A Critique of Haidt’s Phone-Based Childhood Narrative

Prologue: A First-Year Writing Journal 
Volume 16 Article 3 
Front Matter 
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Commons. For more information, please contact eresources@denison.edu. 
 
 
P R O L O G U E 
A Journal of First-Year Writing compiled by the Denison University Writing Center 
2025 
 
Table of Contents 
 
Academic Writing 
Beyond the Screen: A Critique of Haidt’s Phone-Based 
Childhood Narrative, Nhat Linh Dang...……………………………….……………...………….2 
Consultant & Writer Reflections. …………………………...………………...……6 
 
Representation of Blackness in Insecure by Issa Rae, Cameryn Polk……….…………...…….…7 
Consultant & Writer Reflections. ………………………………………….………15 
 
Algorithms of Destruction: Examining Israel’s 
AI-Powered Military Response in Gaza, Hayley Shay……………………...……….…………..17 
Consultant & Writer Reflections. ………………………………………….………27 
 
Memory Wars: Korean Popular Culture and the Politics 
of Historical Justice with Japan, Grace Lee……………………....……………………………..28 
Consultant & Writer Reflections. …………………………………………...……..36 
 
Hrdy and Wrangham: What Erectus Says About Us, Eva Altizer………....………………......37 
Consultant & Writer Reflections. ………………………………………………….44 
 
Contributors & Acknowledgements                                                                                         
Meet the Writers & Consultants ….…….………………...……………………………………...45 
Acknowledgements……………..………………………...……………………………………...46 
 
 
 
1 


Front Matter