Smartphones Are Rewiring Our Brains—Here’s How Parents Can Say No | Clare Morell

American Thought Leaders

The Epoch Times

Government, News, Politics

4.9 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 12 September 2025

⏱️ 53 minutes

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Summary

How have screens and social media altered the brains of children? What is the long-term impact on their happiness and ability to be prosperous, fulfilled adults later on?

“Looking at the brain science, we really have to treat screens more in the category of a highly addictive drug like digital fentanyl than sugar,” argues Clare Morell, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and author of “The Tech Exit: A Practical Guide to Freeing Kids and Teens from Smartphones.”

“These companies are in a race to the bottom. They’re all in a race to get the youngest users. The incentives are not in place for them to put child safety first,” she says.

While many apps advertise parental controls, the reality is there are far more hidden ways children can access addictive, dangerous, or pornographic content than parents may think, Morell says.

“I just wanted to push back against this premise that the smartphone is an inevitable part of childhood. It doesn’t need to be.”

Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Transcript

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0:00.0	These companies are in a race to the bottom.
0:02.0	They're all in a race to get the youngest users.
0:04.0	The incentives are not in place for them to put child safety first.
0:08.0	Screens and social media are having a catastrophic impact on the development of children in teens,
0:14.0	says Claire Morrell, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.
0:18.0	Looking at the brain science, we really have to treat screens more in the category of a highly
0:22.6	addictive drug, like digital fentanyl than sugar.
0:25.6	She's the author of The Tech Exit, a practical guide to freeing kids and teens from smartphones.
0:31.6	A smartphone free childhood is possible. Actually, a lot of families have done this, and I just, I wanted to push back against this premise that the smartphone isn't an inevitable part of childhood.
0:42.3	This is American Thought Leaders and I'm Yanya Kellan.
0:45.3	Claire Morrell? So good to have you back on American Thought Leaders.
0:50.3	Thank you so much for having me.
0:52.3	You advocate for a complete screen exit for kids and even perhaps young adults.
1:01.0	That sounds, I think, to a lot of people watching right now, almost an impossible position to take.
1:09.0	How is this even possible to do in our society?
1:12.6	Yes, I understand that I think because of the ubiquity of smartphones and social media
1:18.6	that parents often feel like it's just impossible to completely resist.
1:22.6	And that's why I wrote my book, The Tech Exit, to actually show parents a smartphone-free childhood is possible. Actually, a lot of families have done this, and this is how to do it successfully.
1:31.8	And I just, I wanted to push back against this premise that the smartphone isn't an
1:36.6	inevitable part of childhood. It doesn't need to be. In fact, if we just even look back a little bit
1:41.2	in history, you know, the iPhone's only 18 years old. It actually turns 18 this June.
1:46.0	It came out in June of 2007.
	...

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