Is social media driving teen mental health issues?
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What does Peter Gray argue is the real cause of the teen mental‑health decline since 2010?
Welcome to The Verge Cast, the flagship podcast of asking what's up with kids these days. I'm Lauren Feiner, The Verge's senior policy reporter. For years now, parents, policymakers, and educators have been looking for the source of a large decline in teens' mental health beginning in 2010. In 2024, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt provided a neat answer in his New York Times bestseller, The Anxious Generation. The culprit? Smartphones and social media. But Boston College psychology research professor Peter Gray has a different explanation. In his new book, Restoring Childhood, Gray develops a competing theory. It posits that nationwide education standards implemented through the Common Core curriculum put increased pressure on kids at a time when even sports were becoming less about play and more about getting into college.
On top of that, Gray says the adoption of the internet in the 90s and 2000s may actually be credited with the decline in teen suicide rates at that time. I wanted to talk with Gray to hear more about his theory and whether he thinks it can actually break through at a time when so many have already bought into heights. But first, here's what's happening on The Verge today. This is 90 Seconds on The Verge for Tuesday, September 15th, 2026. John Higgins reviewed the new AirPods 5 with wireless charging case. He says they're the best non-pro earbuds Apple has made. At $149, they're somehow cheaper than the last generation's AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation. And Apple added volume controls to the stems, the same ones the AirPods Pro have.
The main drawback, battery life has gone down. John also says to skip the cheaper $129 AirPods 5, which don't come with the wireless charging case. Staying on Apple, Apple TV cleaned up at the Emmys last night. The horror comedy Widow's Bay swept in its categories. It won Best Comedy and broke the record for most Emmys won by a comedy in one year. In all, Apple TV won 28 Emmys this year, more than any other outlet. New CEO John Ternes was there to celebrate and to casually show off his iPhone Duo on the red carpet. Finally, the street photographer behind all the gear, no skill, tested out the Dyson camera jet recently. You might recall the lens on this device is attached to a toothbrush. Based on the photos, it may be better suited for close-range images of your teeth rather than a landscape.
You can read more at theverge.com. That's 90 Seconds on the Verge for Tuesday, September 15th, 2026.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What does Peter Gray argue is the real cause of the teen mental‑health decline since 2010?
0:02–6:18
2
How does Gray describe the historical rise and fall of teen anxiety and suicide rates from the 1950s to the 1990s?
6:18–15:22
3
Why does Gray say the internet boom of the 1990s actually helped reduce teen suicide rates?
15:22–23:23
4
What evidence does Gray present to refute the idea that smartphones and social media are the main drivers of teen anxiety?
23:23–30:06
5
How does the Common Core curriculum and increased school pressure explain the post‑2010 spike in teen mental‑health issues?
30:06–36:43
6
What data shows that school‑related stress, not social media, is the leading source of teen anxiety and depression?
36:43–44:08
7
How does Gray evaluate proposed tech restrictions—age verification, bans, and school limits—and their effectiveness?
44:08–49:01
8
What does Gray suggest as a balanced approach to empower kids while protecting them from online and offline harms?
49:01–49:22