Gen Z is reporting low self-esteem, social anxiety, relational difficulties with friends and partners, or with finding romantic partners, and imposter syndrome in the workplace. One influential perspective suggests that the answer lies, at least in part, in the meteoric rise in the prevalence of smartphones and social media. This argument is compelling. As childhood has become more ‘phone-based’, something vital has been lost: time spent in the physical world navigating relationships face-to-face, risk-taking, problem-solving and gradually building self-confidence. But like most complex human experiences the picture is not that simple.

A changing landscape

There’s little doubt that the environment young people are growing up in today is very different from even 15 years ago. Social lives are no longer confined to school hours or local friendships. Instead connection is constant - messages, notifications, images and updates flow into our phones throughout the day and into the night. For some this offers real benefits. It can provide connection, belonging and access to communities that might otherwise be out of reach. For others, however, it introduces a different kind of pressure - one that is often harder to step away from.

Many young people describe a subtle but persistent sense of being ‘on display’ 24/7. From sunny, happy mini-breaks and holidays to sporting and professional achievements as well as an endless round of carefully curated social gatherings there is a a heightened awareness of how one is ‘seen’ and, even more importantly, whether one is included. Moments that would  have passed unnoticed a generation ago are amplified when they are seen, shared, ‘liked’ or commented on by others. The irony here is that frequently the insecure and unhappy contributors regularly posting on social media are the same insecure and unhappy clients in my room.

In therapy this shows up not simply as ‘too much screen time’ but as a far more nuanced experience: checking and rechecking messages, worrying about how something has been interpreted or feeling a quiet sense of exclusion when seeing others together. This vicious circle increases anxiety and lowers self-esteem still further.

The case for concern

Those who emphasise the role of smartphones and social media point to several key patterns. One is the impact on sleep. Devices used late into the night disrupt both the timing and quality of rest and we know for sure that sleep plays a crucial role in emotional regulation. Even small disruptions can make a significant difference over time. Another is the effect of comparison – the relentless cycle of compare and despair. Adolescence is already a period of heightened sensitivity to belonging and identity. When this developmental stage meets a world of curated images and constant communication it can intensify self-criticisim and self-doubt still further.

There is also the question of what has been reduced or replaced. Time spent scrolling is time not spent in other ways - being outdoors, engaging in unstructured play and creativity or simply experiencing moments of boredom. These seemingly ordinary experiences are in fact where many important psychological skills develop: resilience, creativity and the ability to tolerate uncertainty. From this perspective surely the rising anxiety among Gen Z is not just about what has been added but what has been lost.

A more nuanced view

Smartphones and social media are definitely bearing a heavy load. At the same time researchers and clinicians caution against drawing too direct a line between smartphones, social media and a ‘mental health crisis’. Large-scale studies often find that the overall effect of social media on wellbeing is smaller than we might expect. For some young people, digital spaces are not harmful at all - in fact they can be significantly socially supportive and meaningful. This is particularly true for those who may feel isolated in their offline environments or who are exploring aspects of identity that are not easily expressed elsewhere. It also matters how technology is used. Actively connecting with others, messaging friends, sharing experiences, creating content etc can feel very different from doom-scrolling and comparing. Two people may spend the same amount of time on their phones but have entirely different emotional takeaways.

And of course anxiety rarely has a single cause. Academic pressures, global uncertainty, political polarisation, changing family dynamics, the breakdown of community spaces and the destigmatisation of mental health all play an important role. This generation has also lived through a pandemic with its devastating implications for their education, their social life and their introduction to the workplace. They are also, like all of us, grappling with the rise of AI and what it may mean for their chosen professions. Is the increase in reported anxiety more a reflection of a growing willingness to speak out about what was previously hidden? In this light, smartphones are perhaps best understood not as the cause but as just one factor within a wider and far more complex system.

Bringing it back to the individual

In therapeutic work the most helpful question is rarely ‘Are phones good or bad?’ but something far more personal and nuanced: ‘What role does this play in your life?’ For one person, their phone may be a lifeline - a way of staying connected and supported. For another it may be tied up with patterns of avoidance, social comparison, low mood, poor self-esteem or disrupted sleep. Exploring this gently can open up meaningful insight and moves us away from judgement and towards curious understanding:

• What is happening before you reach for your phone?
• How do you feel while you’re using it?
• How do you feel afterwards?
• Tell me what other areas of life are causing anxiety

What seems to help

Across these different perspectives there are some areas of agreement. Sleep for example consistently matters. Creating separation between devices and bedtime can make a noticeable difference to mood and resilience. Sound too simple? It isn’t. So too does maintaining a balance between digital and physical worlds. Experiences that involve movement, face-to-face interaction and a degree of unpredictability, however small, support emotional wellbeing.

It’s also helpful to think less in terms of restriction, and more in terms of restoration. Rather than focusing only on reducing screen time we might ask: ‘What would we like to make more space for?’

• Connection that isn’t mediated by a screen
• Time that isn’t structured or evaluated
• Moments where nothing much is ‘happening’ but where something quietly begins to happen

A compassionate perspective

Perhaps the most important thing is to hold this conversation with care. Young people today are navigating a world that asks a great deal of them and I speak as a therapist who is not a part of their experience. Technology is part of that world and is not something they can simply step away from. Approaching the topic with humility and curiosity rather than criticism allows space for reflection, mutual learning and change.

The question is not whether this generation is ‘too anxious’ nor whether phones and social media are entirely to blame. It is instead how we understand the environments shaping their emotional life and how we can gently support them in this. Because underneath this debate the therapeutic aim remains the same: helping young people feel more grounded, more connected and more at ease with themselves.