- Several years ago,

we began seeing thenumber of young Americans

with certain mental health disorders jump.

This trend of teens and young adults

experiencing depression,suicidal thoughts,

and psychological distressstumped researchers.

- The economy was doing very well.

So that really didn't seem to line up.

So I puzzled over this a really long time.

- [Heather[ Then, Dr. JeanTwenge came across this Pew study

and discovered that 2012 became the year

that most Americans owned a smartphone.

- That was when smartphones became common.

It's also right around thetime that social media went

from being optional tomandatory among teens.

- [Heather] She has since dubbed

this post-millennial generation iGen.

- iGen was the first generation to spend

their entire adolescence with smartphones.

And that has impactedhow much time they spend

with their friends face to face,

it's impacted their independence,

and it looks to be impacting

their mental health and happiness as well.

- [Heather] Twenge and otherresearchers studied data

on 200,000 kids, ages 12 to 17.

They found disorders like major depression

up by more than 50%.

The numbers were worse for teenage girls,

who said they simply felt left out.

Their depression rates soared

and so did their suicide rates.

- They're agreeing with itemslike my life isn't useful,

I don't enjoy life, I'mfeeling sad or hopeless.

- [Heather] One of theproblems noted by experts,

social media is designed to hook us

and keep us coming back,often for hours at a time.

Author Caleb Kinchlow saysteens are especially vulnerable.

- There's this idea that ifI'm not always connected,

then I might be missing out on something.

Now thing about it isthey don't know exactly

what it is, but they still,

they're missing out on something.

- [Heather] In additionto mental health concerns,

this iGen doesn't get muchactual face time with friends.

They're less likely to go out, socially,

have a driver's license or a paid job.

And that's especially true right now

as people practice social distancing.

Add it all up and you have a generation

that has missed key social clues.

- Always communicating viatext or through a screen,

you miss the interpersonal nuances

that are imperative tocommunicating with other people.

- Something I hear from managers a lot,

they'll say, "You know, I like iGen,

"but I'm surprised at how manywill not look me in the eye

"and they don't have thesocial skills that we need 'em

"to have for the jobsthat we're hiring for."

- [Heather] While researchersagree mental health problems

are up, not all buy intoTwenge's conclusions

about smartphones, but mostagree on some practical measures

that can make a difference.

A big one, the importance of sleep

in keeping mental health problems at bay.

That means kids and adultsshould literally power down well

before bed time and don'tbring the phone to bed

because that bright bluelight can trick brains

into thinking it's still daytime.

Also, limit daily use.

- Most of the researchpoints toward mental health

and happiness being thebest at around an hour

or two of use a day.

You get beyond two hours,

especially beyond threeand four hours a day

of use of electronicdevices during leisure time,

that's when the issues start to show up.

- If adults can begin tomodel this good behavior

for their kids, especiallyright now as families

are spending even more time together,

that could mean betterhealth for all of us.

Heather Sells, CBN News.