THE ANXIOUS GENERATION: HOW THE HYPERCONNECTED CHILDHOOD IS CAUSING AN EPIDEMIC OF MENTAL ILLNESSES

Abstract

The study analyzes how hyperconnected childhood has been associated with the growing increase in mental health problems among children and adolescents in contexts marked by the constant presence of digital technologies. The research is guided by the following investigative question: how does the excessive use of screens, social media, and digital devices influence the emotional, social, and psychological development of new generations? The main objective was to understand the impacts of childhood hyperconnectivity on mental health, considering educational, family, and social repercussions related to the increase in anxiety, emotional isolation, and difficulties in socialization. The theoretical framework was based on studies focused on children’s mental health, digital technologies, emotional development, education, and school inclusion, articulating national and international research, institutional documents, and academic productions related to digital childhood. The methodological approach consisted of an integrative literature review of a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory nature, carried out through the analysis of books, scientific articles, and official documents selected from national and international databases. The results showed that excessive use of digital technologies is associated with emotional changes, reduced face-to-face interactions, difficulties in emotional regulation, sleep deprivation, and increased psychological distress among children and adolescents. The findings also demonstrated that schools have increasingly faced demands related to students’ mental health, requiring the strengthening of welcoming pedagogical practices and balanced human mediation in the use of educational technologies. It is concluded that childhood hyperconnectivity represents a phenomenon that goes beyond the technological field, involving social, emotional, and educational transformations that directly interfere with human development. The study contributes to broadening discussions related to children’s mental health, education, and the conscious use of digital technologies, strengthening reflections on emotional development in a society marked by permanent connectivity.