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> After all, while the smartphone is also common in the EU, the teen suicide rates did not change that much Bad argument. Gun ownership in Canada is higher tha
by scrumper 9y ago
> After all, while the smartphone is also common in the EU, the teen suicide rates did not change that much
Bad argument. Gun ownership in Canada is higher than the USA's, yet their firearms murder rate is massively lower. That doesn't mean that gun ownership in the USA isn't a problem worth addressing.
There is something in the intersection of smartphones and teens and the USA which is causing a measurable deleterious effect on the '07-'12 generation. The thing that's changed is smartphone ownership (and the services they can access). So clearly it is worth investigating.
- zimpenfish 9y ago> There is something in the intersection of smartphones and teens and the USA which is causing a measurable deleterious effect on the '07-'12 generation. The thing that's changed is smartphone ownership [...] Well, that, yes, but there's also the GOP shifting into full-on "destroy Obama by any means" wilful destruction of the USA's political structures which may give them a less than rosy view on their futures.
- wongarsu 9y agoIt's important to differentiate between "smartphones are universally bad for teens", "smartphones are bad for teens in our circumstances" and "smartphones are usually bad for teens, but under some circumstances they work our fine". That's not just an academic difference: it may be easier to change to circumstances surrounding smartphones than the presence of smartphones. But that requires understanding what the factors are. Wrongfully declaring smartphones as universally bad is unlikely to be helpful.