The essay addresses this issue. Social media may be the more proximate cause of social isolation, but it's the phones that make social media more available.
Phones provide a behavioral “nudge”, like a pantry stocked with junk food —
when your phone is right there in your pocket, it’s easier to just text a
friend instead of going and hanging out, even if the latter would be
less fulfilling.
(I think he meant "former", not "latter".)
The "just" in "Just don't install social media" is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Yes, that can work. But the temptations offered by that powerful little computer in your pocket makes social media that much more difficult for many to ignore.
The "just" in "Just don't install social media" is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Yes, that can work. But the temptations offered by that powerful little computer in your pocket makes social media that much more difficult for many to ignore.