In the same time period that smartphones radically changed how we communicate, another development took place: drug use among teenagers decreased nearly by half.

Researchers found that American teenagers are less likely to regularly use drugs or drink alcohol today than those in the same age group were ten years ago. Cigarette-use is down dramatically thanks to anti-smoking campaigns, while marijuana use has remained steady and has become more socially accepted.

Although there is no firm proof that smartphones are to thank for the decrease in drug use, their effects certainly shouldn’t be forgotten. Smartphones offer constant stimulation and have similar effects to drug experimentation on a person’s impulses. The same pleasure centers in the brain that are affected in drug use are also stimulated when playing video games or using social media, which could make smart phones reasonable substitutions for other drugs. 

To read the full article in The New York Times, click here.