Except in this case, I'm pretty sure the smartphone+social media combo is also screwing up the older generations.

Does anyone not have friends or family members who became angrier, darker, or otherwise seem to have lost touch with reality since becoming extremely online?

Except in this case older generation(s) can make/map a realistic delta between past and current such that to make reasonable hypotheses.

Frankly, younger people can make the same hypothesis and test from the obverse...it's not that hard.

Indeed, a story as old as civilization itself. but in this case, it doesn't seem like it is working out very well for their mental health.