Childhood Cell Phone Use Is A Public Health Risk

A decade ago, I treated a 16-year-old boy who reported suicidal thoughts. His parents, hunched over his stretcher, could not identify a glaring, inciting event. They assured me their house was overflowing with peace. When I spoke with the boy alone, he confided: “I’m suicidal because my friends never like my Facebook posts.” It was the first time I, an emergency physician, witnessed the emotional toll of cell phone use and…