December 4, 2025 • 6 mins
Dr. Arthur Caplan talks with Mendte in the Morning about the increase in poor mental health in the younger generation as the smart phones and social media become increasingly more available and accessible.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now let's talk to doctor Arthur Kaplan, professor of bioethics
(00:03):
at New York University, Land Going Medical Center with us
every Thursday at this time. Good morning to you, sir,
Good morning. Hey listen, this is a really fascinating study
that came out today about smartphones. And there are some
countries that are talking about making it illegal to use
smartphones until you're sixteen years of age. And these smartphones,
(00:28):
apparently if you use them when you're twelve, this is
what the study said, are linked to worse health problems
in life. I know you've seen this. Can you explain?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Turns out kids at twelve thirteen who are on their
even own a smartphone, cell phone have notably worse mental health,
more depression, more obesity. Their health is diminished because it's
(01:01):
clear that self esteem is fragile at those ages, so
anything they're picking up by scrolling around on their phones
is going to be harmful to them. They don't know how,
really how to take some of the irony and just
nonsense that's being sent back and forth there. And I
(01:25):
think what it's also indicating is you don't get out
and talk to people. You don't even get up off
your chair, you're just kind of sedentary and isolated. I
like this idea of coming up with either a special
phone that is extremely limited as to what it can do,
but you know, gives you an emergency signal or whatever
(01:48):
else you might need that makes sense, but doesn't give
you free access hidden in your bedroom to the total
Worldwide Web, which is not a good place to be.
I think as a band that they're proposing maybe up
to the age of sixteen, I don't know if I
want to go with a band, but i'd certainly go.
I'd either say, manufacturers, you come up with cell phones
(02:11):
for kids that are restricted, or we will ban. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
I love that idea. In Australia, I think they're talking
and I misspoke a second ago. I think they're talking
specifically about social media and keeping kids off social media.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
And what I mean the phones will be part of
that too.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Yeah, absolutely absolutely. But they're putting the onus on the
social media companies, all.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Right, And I keep saying, are these guys ever gonna
do anything or are they just going to continue to
chug along, make their money, make noise that you know
they're doing some screening or help, but they're really not
doing anything, and we're not pushing them to do enough.
I think at the federal state level.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Yeah, you know, I will tell you this one of
the biggest problems. And I've covered many stories of teen suicides,
and they had a bundle of teams suicides in New
Jersey about eight years ago, and they traced them all
back to bullying online and a lot of it wasn't
even social media, it was just group chats that were
(03:12):
going on. And so this is just it's destructive.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Think about what happens. I've been there with my kid
a I'm time ago, but watching seventh graders interact, they
are the worst. They're mean, yeah, yeah, they're completely out
of control often and you just amplify that when you
can access all of that. Let's call it adolescent craziness
(03:36):
twenty four to seven. Right. So, look, there are a
lot of people lobbying this administration. I keep seeing all
these social media companies and big IT companies showing up,
big donors, build the uh you know, the the ballroom,
and contribute to the campaign. It's not unique to Trump.
It's going on at the state level. It went on
(03:56):
with Biden, it went on before them. That's a really
powerful lobby. But if we want to look out for
our kids, I mean, I really think we got to
take some action.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Let's talk about young girls and skincare products. There are
some ethical issues and some safety issues in this.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
There are, believe it or not, there is promotion going
online on social on that horrible social media front to
young girls, I mean twelve thirteen to say, you know,
use what your parents use, your grandmam uses to help
give you better skin. And they're using abrasives and things
(04:37):
that burn the skin and things that are just not
dosed or appropriate for twelve year olds. Furthermore, twelve year
olds don't need them, right, They're fine. They don't need
that preventive skincare yet. They may need it later in
their lives, but they don't need it now. So you're
getting these kids heavy users, celebrity endorsing this, which I
(05:01):
think is just terrible, only how to be called out
for it and damaging their skin. I mean, they're hurting
their skin. They're not helping it. This stuff is you know,
it's meant to get rid of blemishes and problems. So
it's a kind of tougher I'm told by my dermatology
friends on the skin than any adolescent would need or
(05:22):
benefit from.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Yeah, there's a you know, the trend on social media
is called get Ready with Me, and there are videos
that women started doing where they'd show your you know,
their skincare routine, right, you know, and they'll talk to
you about whatever, and they'll be putting on their makeup
what have you. And then kids started doing this and
like you said, with the products that they're using. The
worst part is a lot of these companies because these kids,
(05:47):
believe it or not, are influencers. They have hundreds of
thousands of followers. They'll send them these products for free
and they.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Can use them.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
And we're wrong.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
I't seen it, Natalie, at the beauty pageants that they
have for those little little nine and ten and eleven
year old kids. You know, they're not only using the makeup.
They're using all the skincare stuff. It's all for adults.
It's never been tested or tried on these young kids.
And I'll say it again, they don't need it. It's
(06:21):
a scam.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Let kids be kids. Doctor Arthur Caplan, professor of bioethics
at New York University, landgoing Medical Center with us every
Thursday at nine oh five We make them grow up
too fast. Thanks doctor Arthur Caplan.
Now let's talk to doctor Arthur Kaplan, professor of bioethics
(00:03):
at New York University, Land Going Medical Center with us
every Thursday at this time. Good morning to you, sir,
Good morning. Hey listen, this is a really fascinating study
that came out today about smartphones. And there are some
countries that are talking about making it illegal to use
smartphones until you're sixteen years of age. And these smartphones,
(00:28):
apparently if you use them when you're twelve, this is
what the study said, are linked to worse health problems
in life. I know you've seen this. Can you explain?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Turns out kids at twelve thirteen who are on their
even own a smartphone, cell phone have notably worse mental health,
more depression, more obesity. Their health is diminished because it's
(01:01):
clear that self esteem is fragile at those ages, so
anything they're picking up by scrolling around on their phones
is going to be harmful to them. They don't know how,
really how to take some of the irony and just
nonsense that's being sent back and forth there. And I
(01:25):
think what it's also indicating is you don't get out
and talk to people. You don't even get up off
your chair, you're just kind of sedentary and isolated. I
like this idea of coming up with either a special
phone that is extremely limited as to what it can do,
but you know, gives you an emergency signal or whatever
(01:48):
else you might need that makes sense, but doesn't give
you free access hidden in your bedroom to the total
Worldwide Web, which is not a good place to be.
I think as a band that they're proposing maybe up
to the age of sixteen, I don't know if I
want to go with a band, but i'd certainly go.
I'd either say, manufacturers, you come up with cell phones
(02:11):
for kids that are restricted, or we will ban. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
I love that idea. In Australia, I think they're talking
and I misspoke a second ago. I think they're talking
specifically about social media and keeping kids off social media.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
And what I mean the phones will be part of
that too.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Yeah, absolutely absolutely. But they're putting the onus on the
social media companies, all.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Right, And I keep saying, are these guys ever gonna
do anything or are they just going to continue to
chug along, make their money, make noise that you know
they're doing some screening or help, but they're really not
doing anything, and we're not pushing them to do enough.
I think at the federal state level.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Yeah, you know, I will tell you this one of
the biggest problems. And I've covered many stories of teen suicides,
and they had a bundle of teams suicides in New
Jersey about eight years ago, and they traced them all
back to bullying online and a lot of it wasn't
even social media, it was just group chats that were
(03:12):
going on. And so this is just it's destructive.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Think about what happens. I've been there with my kid
a I'm time ago, but watching seventh graders interact, they
are the worst. They're mean, yeah, yeah, they're completely out
of control often and you just amplify that when you
can access all of that. Let's call it adolescent craziness
(03:36):
twenty four to seven. Right. So, look, there are a
lot of people lobbying this administration. I keep seeing all
these social media companies and big IT companies showing up,
big donors, build the uh you know, the the ballroom,
and contribute to the campaign. It's not unique to Trump.
It's going on at the state level. It went on
(03:56):
with Biden, it went on before them. That's a really
powerful lobby. But if we want to look out for
our kids, I mean, I really think we got to
take some action.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Let's talk about young girls and skincare products. There are
some ethical issues and some safety issues in this.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
There are, believe it or not, there is promotion going
online on social on that horrible social media front to
young girls, I mean twelve thirteen to say, you know,
use what your parents use, your grandmam uses to help
give you better skin. And they're using abrasives and things
(04:37):
that burn the skin and things that are just not
dosed or appropriate for twelve year olds. Furthermore, twelve year
olds don't need them, right, They're fine. They don't need
that preventive skincare yet. They may need it later in
their lives, but they don't need it now. So you're
getting these kids heavy users, celebrity endorsing this, which I
(05:01):
think is just terrible, only how to be called out
for it and damaging their skin. I mean, they're hurting
their skin. They're not helping it. This stuff is you know,
it's meant to get rid of blemishes and problems. So
it's a kind of tougher I'm told by my dermatology
friends on the skin than any adolescent would need or
(05:22):
benefit from.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Yeah, there's a you know, the trend on social media
is called get Ready with Me, and there are videos
that women started doing where they'd show your you know,
their skincare routine, right, you know, and they'll talk to
you about whatever, and they'll be putting on their makeup
what have you. And then kids started doing this and
like you said, with the products that they're using. The
worst part is a lot of these companies because these kids,
(05:47):
believe it or not, are influencers. They have hundreds of
thousands of followers. They'll send them these products for free
and they.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Can use them.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
And we're wrong.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
I't seen it, Natalie, at the beauty pageants that they
have for those little little nine and ten and eleven
year old kids. You know, they're not only using the makeup.
They're using all the skincare stuff. It's all for adults.
It's never been tested or tried on these young kids.
And I'll say it again, they don't need it. It's
(06:21):
a scam.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Let kids be kids. Doctor Arthur Caplan, professor of bioethics
at New York University, landgoing Medical Center with us every
Thursday at nine oh five We make them grow up
too fast. Thanks doctor Arthur Caplan.
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