Millennials Ruined by Smartphones Buy Dumb Phones for Their Kids

A few months ago, while trying to juggle the intricacies of my 10-year-old daughter Alice’s after-school schedule, my wife and I bought her a cellphone. The purchase felt fraught, like the 21st century equivalent of sticking a pack of Marlboro Reds in her backpack.

Illustration: Shira Inbar for Bloomberg Businessweek

As a tech reporter, I’ve spent years covering the harms caused by the relentless push for growth at Silicon Valley’s biggest companies—a push some researchers have linked to higher rates of eating disorders, depression and even suicide among teenagers. I’ve watched testimony from company whistleblowers such as former Facebook product manager Frances Haugen, who ...