peer group

For middle school and high school students, the department offers enrichment camps, peer groups and support programs, which provide academic and social-emotional support.

"It was quite emotional because this was my peer group I was looking after and seeing," said the now 66-year-old.

He added that between 10-25% of pupils surveyed "reported having a wide range of negative experiences with their smartphones, from everyday upset arising from peer group squabbles to exposure to harmful and illegal content".

Participants can choose either face-to-face group sessions or digital support, including wearable tech and access to health coaches and peer groups.

As high school enrollment steadily increased, labor was increasingly left to adults, and teens created peer groups separate from either their families or the streets.