Doomscrolling. You’ve probably fallen down the rabbit hole, beginning with a quick glance at a video. What could be more innocent, right? But your quick glance at what to do — say in your state this summer — turned into why you should be worrying about drinking water.
That’s just an example. I don’t know of reasons why you should worry about drinking water (though I’m sure you could find some yourself).
It’s not just the young people in our lives who are addicted to phones. It’s also the grown-ups. The 40-something dad who relaxes with Instagram after a busy day. The new mom looking for advice on YouTube. The grandfather who disappears into email when his phone dings.
We’re holding the most addictive technology ever created. We carry it around in our pockets. No wonder it can feel like our phones are using us as much as we’re using them.
Guess what? The next generation is watching. In fact, according to a 2025 study, parent screen use is linked to adolescent screen use. This shouldn’t surprise us: the kids are always watching. If your phone follows you at mealtimes or in the bedroom, the younger people in your life notice.
This doesn’t mean you should blame yourself. The deck is stacked against you. You need a phone, and it’s addictive. It’s helpful to remember the deck is stacked against adolescents, too — it doesn’t help to blame them for being on their phones, but to explain what their phones are doing and why they’re great at doing it.
They’re trying to steal our minds. But don’t take our word for it. Watch this video from our friends at Axis and have a conversation with the young person in your life, or your significant other, or — maybe — with yourself.
