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In 2009, around 25 percent of American high school students said they had “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.” By 2021, it was up to 44 percent, the highest level of teenage sadness ever recorded. For girls, the number was even higher: 57 percent.

What could account for such a dramatic change between 2009 and today?

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If you looked at a group of teenagers then and now, the main difference you’d see is the modern teens hunched over their smartphones.

These stats come from an episode of TGC’s Recorded podcast, in which Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra shares the stories of young women being shaped by social media. She talks directly to Gen Z about what they think, feel, and believe.

Sarah has also edited a book, Social Sanity in an Insta World (TGC, 2022) that brings biblical and theological perspectives to bear on our social media use. Contributors include Melissa Kruger, Jen Wilkin, Ruth Chou Simons, and Laura Wifler. Sarah is senior writer for The Gospel Coalition and coauthor with me of the book Gospelbound: Living with Resolute Hope in an Anxious Age. She lives with her husband and sons outside Chicago.

Sarah joined me on Gospelbound to discuss influencers, fasting, and taking advice from strangers.

Transcript

Consider Jesus’s Generous Grace with This Free Ebook

John the Baptist. Judas. Zaccheus. Caiaphas. We could quickly label these individuals as heroes or villains—but each of their experiences with Jesus provides a unique and unexpected glimpse of his generous grace. What might we have overlooked in their familiar stories?

In Saints and Scoundrels in the Story of Jesus, seasoned bible teacher Nancy Guthrie provides readers with a fresh look at some of the most well-known personalities described in the Gospels.

We’re delighted to offer this ebook to you for FREE today. Follow the link for instant access to a resource that reminds us of the only hope for supposed saints and scandalous scoundrels—the mercy of God

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