Jean Twenge

Jean Twenge is a Professor of Psychology at the Department of Psychology, College of Sciences, San Diego State University (SDSU). Her research focuses on generational differences, mental health trends, and the impact of technology on youth development. She is renowned for her work on the iGen (Generation Z) and their behaviors shaped by smartphone and social media use.

Twenge has advised numerous graduate students and has been recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics in 2023. Her work spans topics such as adolescent mental health, suicide trends, and cultural shifts in family structure and academic pressure. She frequently speaks at academic conferences and media outlets, advocating for policies to address youth mental health crises linked to digital media.

Key research highlights include linking increased screen time to depression and anxiety in teens, analyzing generational shifts in attitudes toward marriage, religion, and work ethics, and exploring the rise in LGBQT+ self-identification. Twenge's publications include influential books like iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy—and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood (2017) and Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future (2023).

She has collaborated with institutions like The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on youth mental health and testified before U.S. state attorneys general on digital media’s psychological impacts. Twenge’s research also addresses broader societal issues, such as declining happiness and rising loneliness across age groups.