How The iPhone Rewrote The Teenage Brain

Lawyer and social researcher David Gillespie has been delving into the complex business of the teenage brain.

He says the usual teenage compulsions like smoking, drinking and drug taking are in steep decline, as teenagers are now more likely to seek a pleasure hit from their screens.

But the games and social media apps they use are deliberately engineered to be addictive.

Unlike drugs and cigarettes, their devices are supported by schools and parents, with few restrictions on their use.

You can hear him talk about this important issue on ABC radio here.