Gen Z’s Brains Are “Growing Around Their Phones”
At a Dartmouth symposium focused on mental health, NYU professor Jonathan Haidt discussed his research on what he calls “the great rewiring.” Haidt, the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at NYU Stern, highlighted a global public health crisis caused by a rapid shift from a play-based childhood to a phone-centric one. This shift, he claims, has led to a widespread decline in the well-being of young people worldwide.
Impact on Generation Z
Haidt emphasized that those born after 1995—Generation Z—are neurologically distinct from previous generations. Their puberty years coincided with constant exposure to smartphones and social media, reshaping their mental development.
Tree Roots as a Metaphor for Brain Development
To illustrate the neurological changes, Haidt used the metaphor of tree roots. He explained that just as tree roots grow in response to their environment, neurons adapt based on the surroundings they're exposed to. He referenced an image of a tree that had grown around a Civil War–era tombstone, which left a bark imprint a century ago, and the tree changed its growth accordingly.
“Their brains have been growing around their phones very much in the way that this tree grew around this tombstone.”
Author’s Summary
Jonathan Haidt warns that Generation Z’s brain development is being reshaped in profound ways by pervasive smartphone use, creating lasting changes in their mental landscape.