John Burn-Murdoch, the chief data reporter and columnist for the Financial Times, is gaining significant recognition for his comprehensive analysis of the profound societal changes, shifts in consciousness, and personality alterations attributed to the smartphone era. His data-driven reports highlight a critical inflection point around 2012, coinciding with the widespread adoption of smartphones, after which several key indicators of cognitive ability and mental well-being began to decline.
According to Burn-Murdoch's findings, scores on standardized tests, which had previously peaked, have been falling steeply since 2012. He observes a "steep rise in the percent of people struggling to concentrate or learn new things," particularly among 18-year-olds surveyed in the long-running Monitoring the Future study. The data also indicates a significant decrease in reading for leisure among U.S. teens and a 25 percent increase in adults in high-income countries unable to perform basic math skills over several decades.
Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist and author of "The Anxious Generation," has lauded Burn-Murdoch's work, stating in a tweet, > "John Burn-Burdoch is one of the journalists doing the most to help us understand the massive changes to society, consciousness, and now personality in the smarphone era. This report is astonishing. He brings a lot out from behind the paywall." Haidt's own research strongly correlates the rise of smartphones and social media with an "epidemic of mental illness" among youth, advocating for measures such as no smartphones before high school and no social media before age 16.
The convergence of data from experts like Burn-Murdoch and Haidt paints a concerning picture of the digital age's impact. The shift in information consumption from longer texts to short snippets and video content is cited as a potential factor contributing to declining literacy levels and diminished attention spans. This growing body of evidence underscores the urgent need for a deeper understanding and potential policy responses to mitigate the negative consequences of pervasive smartphone use.