Key Takeaways
- Depression and anxiety among people under 30 have risen sharply; the strongest predictor is the feeling that life is meaningless.
- Arthur C. Brooks links this “meaning crisis” to the constant flow of information from smartphones, which eliminates boredom—a mental state essential for discovering purpose.
- The brain’s right‑hand side handles complex, open‑ended problems (relationships, faith, meaning), while the left‑hand side tackles complicated, solvable tasks (technology, data analysis). Excessive focus on left‑brain activities silences the right brain, draining life of mystery and purpose.
- Intentional technology use—phone‑free periods, device‑free exercise, and tech‑free zones—can re‑engage the right brain and restore space for meaning‑seeking.
- Experiencing transcendence—through nature, philosophy, or faith—activates the right brain and connects individuals to a sense of something larger than themselves, which Brooks identifies as the ultimate source of meaning.
When Arthur C. Brooks returned to academia in 2019 after an eleven‑year hiatus, he anticipated encountering the generally upbeat college students he remembered from earlier years. Instead, he was confronted with troubling data: depression rates among those under 30 had tripled, anxiety had doubled, loneliness and addiction were climbing, and a striking 55 % of Harvard undergraduates were seeking psychiatric care.
Brooks set out to uncover the root of this surge in mental‑health distress. His investigation led him to a single, powerful predictor: the belief that “My life feels meaningless.” He concluded that the prevailing mental‑health crisis among young adults is, at its core, a meaning crisis.
To explain why meaning has eroded, Brooks traced the shift to the technology boom that began around 2008. The ubiquitous smartphone turned every spare moment into an opportunity for information retrieval, effectively abolishing boredom. Brooks argues that boredom is not a nuisance to be eliminated but a necessary mental state that activates brain circuits responsible for imagination, future‑oriented thinking, and the pursuit of deeper questions. Without those idle intervals, the mind loses the capacity to wander toward the “big” questions that give life purpose.
He further elucidated this point by distinguishing between two kinds of cognitive work handled by different brain hemispheres. The “right brain” deals with complex problems—issues that are understood but not fully solvable, such as navigating relationships, cultivating faith, and grappling with what makes life meaningful. In contrast, the “left brain” addresses complicated problems, which are difficult but ultimately solvable, like inventing new technologies or selecting a college major.
Nearly every activity people perform on their phones—checking messages, scrolling feeds, searching for facts—falls into the left‑brain category of complicated problem‑solving. When individuals become habitually absorbed in these tasks, the right brain remains disengaged. Brooks warns that this chronic left‑brain dominance empties life of meaning and mystery, leaving a void that manifests as depression, anxiety, and a sense of purposelessness.
The remedy, Brooks insists, does not require abandoning technology altogether. Instead, he advocates for intentional technology use that carves out space for the right brain to awaken. Practical steps include exercising without devices, instituting phone‑free intervals (especially the first and last hours of the day), and establishing phone‑free zones such as bedrooms and dinner tables. By creating these boundaries, individuals allow their brains to “start coming to life,” re‑engaging the neural pathways that support wonder, reflection, and the search for significance.
Brooks also encourages cultivating a state of transcendence—the experience of awe in the presence of something greater than oneself. Whether sparked by gazing at the night sky, studying profound philosophical texts, or engaging in religious practice, transcendence opens the mind to questions that analytical thinking alone cannot answer. For Brooks, the most reliable path to transcendence is faith in God, which he describes as the ultimate concept of “better,” the ultimate understanding of meaning, and the eternal bliss of life with a Heavenly Father.
In his remarks at the University of Utah’s interfaith event—attended by university leaders, clergy, and community members—Brooks emphasized that the quest for meaning is a lifelong endeavor. University President Taylor Randall echoed this sentiment, urging the audience to internalize Brooks’s advice and actively ask, “What is our meaning?” rather than waiting for circumstances to force the question upon them.
Ultimately, Brooks’s message is clear: the surge in mental‑health struggles among young adults is less a biochemical anomaly and more a cultural one, driven by an over‑reliance on information‑rich technology that starves the mind of the boredom and right‑brain engagement needed to discover purpose. By deliberately limiting screen time, embracing moments of stillness, and seeking transcendent experiences—whether through nature, art, or faith—individuals can rekindle the capacity to find meaning and reverse the tide of the meaning crisis.