As a pediatrician, loss of human connection is the biggest threat to kids, not AI

Amid worries about children’s relationship to tech, the solution is often spending more time talking openly with each other We have become obsessed with the idea that screens are destroying human connection. The evidence seems to be everywhere. Each week headlines warn of teenagers addicted to phones, a loneliness epidemic and the dangers of AI. The release of The Social Reckoning has leads us to ask, “How bad were those guys at Meta?” and then ultimately wonder, “How bad am I if I still use Instagram?” In our day-to-day, we observe workers eating lunch alone while scrolling and friends choosing online games over offline gatherings. Continue reading...

Megan Moreno · Tue, Oct 13, 2026, 4:00 AM
US news | The Guardian

As a pediatrician, loss of human connection is the biggest threat to kids, not AI

Amid worries about children’s relationship to tech, the solution is often spending more time talking openly with each other

We have become obsessed with the idea that screens are destroying human connection.

The evidence seems to be everywhere. Each week headlines warn of teenagers addicted to phones, a loneliness epidemic and the dangers of AI. The release of The Social Reckoning has leads us to ask, “How bad were those guys at Meta?” and then ultimately wonder, “How bad am I if I still use Instagram?” In our day-to-day, we observe workers eating lunch alone while scrolling and friends choosing online games over offline gatherings.

This page shows an excerpt; reporting belongs to the original publisher. Some images or embeds may be omitted compared with the live article.