{"rewrite":{"id":"r_69ba67870ffae3f5fe980096","clusterId":"c_2af1fe6e2b5cbebf0491b552","slug":"psychologist-peter-gray-blames-school-stress-not-phones-for-teen-mental-health-crisis","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Psychologist Peter Gray Blames School Stress, Not Phones, for Teen Mental Health Crisis","summary":"Psychologist Peter Gray argues that the main cause of the adolescent mental health crisis is school-related stress, not social media. He challenges the thesis of his former collaborator Jonathan Haidt, whose book 'The Anxious Generation' blamed smartphones. Gray's new book, 'Restoring Childhood,' is set to release.","whyItMatters":"Gray, a co-author of the very book that popularized the smartphone blame, now publicly reverses his position, potentially reshaping the debate over technology's role in youth mental health.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003ePeter Gray, the psychologist who co-founded the nonprofit Let Grow with Jonathan Haidt and co-authored the 2023 bestseller \u0026#39;The Anxious Generation,\u0026#39; now says that book had it wrong. In a new essay for The Atlantic, Gray argues that the real driver of the teen mental health crisis is not smartphones but the relentless pressure to achieve good grades in school. He points to the narrowing of education under the Common Core standards and the loss of unstructured play as the true culprits.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGray\u0026#39;s upcoming book, \u0026#39;Restoring Childhood: How to Set Kids Free in the Age of Anxiety,\u0026#39; is framed as a direct counter to Haidt\u0026#39;s thesis. Gray warns that reflexive calls to ban phones and social media only further restrict children\u0026#39;s autonomy, which he believes is the actual cause of their distress. The rift between the two longtime collaborators marks a significant split in the public conversation about what harms kids today.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Peter Gray, who co-authored 'The Anxious Generation' with Jonathan Haidt, now says the book was wrong: school stress, not smartphones, drives the teen mental health crisis. His new book 'Restoring Childhood' counters Haidt's claim.","twitterPost":"Peter Gray, co-author of 'The Anxious Generation,' now argues that school stress, not smartphones, is the main cause of the teen mental health crisis. His new book 'Restoring Childhood' takes on Haidt's thesis.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Peter Gray, the psychologist who helped popularize the idea that smartphones are harming teens, now says the real problem is school stress. He challenges his former collaborator Jonathan Haidt in a new book. The split could shift the national conversation on youth mental health.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"GIGAZINE\",\"url\":\"https://gigazine.net/news/20260713-what-matter-kids-today/\",\"title\":\"Psychologist Peter Gray argues that the main cause of the mental health crisis among teenagers is not smartphones but 'the stress of having to get good grades at school,' challenging Jonathan Haidt's claim that 'the deterioration of young people's mental health is due to social media.'\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4235,"outputTokens":1558,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1783928849,"createdAt":"2026-07-13T07:38:06.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-07-13T07:42:28.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-13T07:38:06.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_2af1fe6e2b5cbebf0491b552","canonicalTitle":"10代の若者のメンタルヘルス危機の主な原因はスマホではなく「学校で良い成績を収めなければというストレス」にあると心理学者のピーター・グレイが主張、ジョナサン・ハイトの「若者のメンタルヘルス悪化はSNSのせい」説に異議を唱える","representativeArticleId":"a_c2140f1bb8c0053c346f5782","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"op_ed\",\"domain\":\"other\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-13T05:55:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-13T05:55:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-13T07:42:28.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"GIGAZINE","url":"https://gigazine.net/news/20260713-what-matter-kids-today/","title":"10代の若者のメンタルヘルス危機の主な原因はスマホではなく「学校で良い成績を収めなければというストレス」にあると心理学者のピーター・グレイが主張、ジョナサン・ハイトの「若者のメンタルヘルス悪化はSNSのせい」説に異議を唱える"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"op_ed","domain":"other","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":null}