logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2024
32m 16s

'Rewilding' the smartphone generation: o...

THE TIMES
About this episode

With young people in Britain and across the world increasingly reliant on smartphones, and many teens now openly admitting they’re addicted to social media, could an entire generation be suffering serious and irreversible damage, and what should we as a society do to stop it?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/podcasts/the-story 

Guest: Helen Rumbelow, Times Feature Writer and Columnist.

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Email us: thestory@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

Clips: NBC News, ITV News, Bloomberg Technology.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
Inside Meta's multi-billion reality check
The tech giant Meta has agreed to pay up to $18 billion and add child-safety measures to its platforms, after settling a landmark trial against a coalition of American states. So, will the forthcoming measures actually lead to real change? And why has 2026 become a year of social ... Show More
29m 48s
Yesterday
LATEST: Devastation in Nepal
At least 360 have died, with hundreds more still missing, after a flash flood in Nepal. Experts are warning that a second flood may be imminent.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com ... Show More
13m 28s
Yesterday
Q&A: Harry and Meghan return, underground data centres and peace for Ukraine?
Does the king get to decide where his grandkids go to school? Could we build data centres underground? And why was the CIA chief in Moscow this week? You asked, so we answered, in this edition of our monthly Q&A series.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of read ... Show More
25m 46s
Recommended Episodes
May 2024
Babbage: Teens and their screens
<p>Ever since there have been smartphones and social media, there have been concerns about how they might be affecting children. Over the past decade, doctors have seen a decline in mental health in the young in much of the rich world. But whether that rise can be attributed to t ... Show More
42m 16s
Nov 2024
How do we reduce harms to children from smartphones?
Initially, the upside to children having access to a supercomputer in their pockets seemed obvious: immediate access to the reams of educational information on the internet, seamless communications with their friends, a source of constant entertainment. But as mental ill health a ... Show More
31m 7s
Jun 2024
This is your kid on smartphones
Old people have always worried about young people. But psychologist Jonathan Haidt believes something genuinely different and troubling is happening right now. He argues that smartphones and social media have had disastrous effects on the mental health of young people, and derail ... Show More
53m 58s
Mar 2024
The Smartphone Kids Are Not All Right
Hanna talks to her child Jacob about the thing they've argued the most about: being on their phone. Then, Hanna sits down with social psychologist Jonathan Haidt. In his new book, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness ... Show More
29m 30s
Nov 2024
Should You Post About Your Kids Online?
New technologies like artificial intelligence, facial recognition and social media algorithms are changing our world so fast it can be hard to keep up. That’s why The Assignment is excited to bring you CNN’s new podcast, “Terms of Service with Clare Duffy.” Audie sits down with C ... Show More
31m 16s
May 2023
We Need To Talk About Teens, Social Media And Mental Health
This week, the American Psychological Association issued its first-of-kind guidelines for parents to increase protection for children online. It comes at a time of rising rates of depression and anxiety among teens.This episode, NPR science correspondent Michaeleen Doucleff looks ... Show More
13m 12s
May 2025
Is Your Phone Controlling Your Life? With Kaitlyn Regehr (Part One)
The ‘Smartphone-free Childhood’ movement has alerted many of us to the dangers inherent in our – and our kids’ – use of devices. But while we can shield children from technology in their early years, withdrawing from the online world is not an option for most of us in adult life. ... Show More
34m 3s