Kimberly Hassel published in The Nation Magazine
AMES Professor Kimberly Hassel with the print edition of her debate piece.
Are cell phones to blame for the youth loneliness epidemic?
AMES Professor Kimberly Hassel argues the negative (no) in her debate piece recently published in the January 2026 issue of The Nation Magazine while Professor David Landes (Thompson Writing Program at Duke) argues the affirmative (yes).
In her response, Professor Hassel argues that the youth loneliness epidemic in the United States is a symptom of late-stage capitalism, decline of third places, and a society unable to support or protect its youth. Using her research on youth culture and digital culture in Japan—which forms the basis of her book manuscript—Dr. Hassel discusses how it is possible to live with cell phones and still prioritize in-person interactions with good infrastructure and media literacy practices.
View the digital version of the article to read the full version of both individual's pieces.