Tech & Society Lab | Global Adolescent Health

In The Anxious Generation, we documented a sharp deterioration in adolescent mental health across the United States, other English-speaking countries, and the Nordic nations beginning in the early 2010s. But how global is this transformation? And does the same pattern appear when we look beyond mental health to changes in attention, learning, and academic performance?

We are building a more comprehensive picture of how adolescence has changed around the world. When and where did adolescent mental health and well-being begin to deteriorate? Which outcomes, age groups, and sexes were most affected? Have attention and academic performance changed alongside mental health? And how closely do these trends correspond to the spread of smartphones, social media, and other digital technologies? 

We investigate these questions using international surveys, government and administrative data, educational assessments, experimental and longitudinal research, and other historical evidence. By comparing countries and regions that experienced the digital transition at different times and in different ways, we aim to better understand the global transformation of childhood through the adoption of new digital technologies.