Every time I see someone blame smart phones for the reason young people are anxious I write them off as myopic and worse.
We are facing the end of the world. Our ecology is decaying around us. We can all feel this, except for you apparently. In the past we have been told the world would end. But now we can actually see it evidenced in our day to day. Why should they be happy. Their future sucks..
Stop minimizing what they are facing and learn to create something less callous and lacking in compassion. The schools obviously failed you as well.