Bill Gates: kids Today Could Lose Key Advantage due to Smartphones, Social Media

Billionaire Bill Gates worries that today’s kids could lose a key advantage he once had, crediting his career success in part to the freedom and leisure time he had as a young man to explore the world around him, read books, and think deeply, away from modern distractions like smartphones and social media, according to CNBC.

This shift from a “play-based childhood” to a “phone-based childhood” has sparked a cultural shift that has led to higher rates of mental health problems among younger generations, along with other negative effects on their ability to learn and socialize, according to Jonathan Haidt’s 2024 bestseller, Generation Anxiety.

Gates described the book as a “must-read” for anyone involved with young people, in a blog post in December, in which he questioned his chances of developing the habits and skills that were “critical to his later success” if he had grown up in a world dominated by smartphones and social media.

According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2024, about 95% of teenagers in the United States have regular access to smartphones today, compared to only 23% in 2011, and most of them are active on social media.

The result is that more kids are spending hours indoors scrolling through apps designed to grab their attention, leaving far less time for free play and social interaction outside the home, says Zach Rausch, Haidt’s lead researcher and an associate research scientist at the New York University Graduate School of Business.

“There’s a lot of time being taken up by products that are intentionally designed to hook you in and keep you hooked for as long as possible — and that has huge implications,” Rausch says.

In 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warned of the mental health risks associated with constant social media and smartphone use by young people, pointing to studies showing that it can lead to higher rates of anxiety and depression.

Haidt and Rausch also point to the impact on attention spans, with kids having trouble focusing for long periods of time, whether in school or even while reading a book.

“They’re constantly being pulled toward their devices by notifications and a whole world happening in their pockets throughout the school day, which makes it really hard to stay focused on one thing,” Rausch says.

“It’s a serious problem for young people who have grown up not knowing what it means to sit and concentrate for long periods of time,” he added. “Research shows the benefits of free play and personal interactions, including increased creativity and resilience, as well as better social skills and greater ability to resolve conflicts. As work evolves, it becomes increasingly difficult to develop these skills. What we see is that children take fewer risks, feel more socially anxious, and in general it becomes more difficult to transition from childhood to adulthood.”