The Anxious GenerationHow the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness

by Jonathan Haidt
The Anxious GenerationHow the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness cover
Good Books rating 4.17
Buy online
Waterstones
Paperback • £10.99 Hardback • £25.00
Amazon
Format/Price Check
Technical
  • ID: 432
  • Added: 2025-09-11
  • Updated: 2025-10-19
  • Formats: 64
  • Reviews: 3
Reviews
blogs.lse.ac.uk · Unknown · 2025-02-27
intriguing 3.50

Jonathan Haidt's 'The Anxious Generation' explores the link between increased smartphone and social media use and the rise in youth mental illness, offering valuable insights but relying heavily on generalisations and metaphors. The book is strongest in its analysis of social media's impact but weaker in its discussion of the decline of unsupervised play.

Jonathan Haidt's 'The Anxious Generation' delves into the alarming increase in mental health issues among young people, attributing this trend to the widespread adoption of smartphones and social media. The book presents a compelling case, drawing on extensive research and anecdotal evidence, particularly in its examination of how social media platforms exploit psychological principles to create addictive products. However, the argument becomes less convincing when Haidt shifts focus to the decline of unsupervised play as a contributing factor. Here, the evidence is more anecdotal and metaphorical, lacking the robust scientific backing seen in the earlier sections. The book also offers practical suggestions for mitigating the negative impacts of technology on youth mental health, such as delaying smartphone access and enforcing age restrictions on social media. While the book provides a thought-provoking discussion, its reliance on generalisations and rhetorical devices weakens its overall impact.

Quick quotes

    Social media companies such as Facebook/Meta have knowingly drawn on relevant psychological research to create addictive products

    Girls more likely to use social media and boys more likely to consume pornography and to play video games. The rise in anxiety and depression is more pronounced in girls.

    Haidt makes it sound as though rules for bringing up children today can be directly deduced from evolution, even though humankind has evolved over millennia in greatly differing and changing environments.

goodreads.com · Unknown · 2024-03-26
urgent 4.50

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt argues that the rise in teenage mental illness is driven by the mass adoption of smartphones and social media, leading to a 'phone-based' childhood that displaces real-life social interactions. The book calls for urgent interventions like banning smartphones in schools and raising the age of internet adulthood to protect young people.

Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generation presents a compelling case that the sharp increase in teenage mental illness since the 2010s is largely due to the widespread use of smartphones and social media. He argues that these technologies have replaced play-based childhoods with phone-based ones, leading to increased social isolation, anxiety, and depression. The book highlights the disproportionate impact on girls, who are more likely to be affected by social media, and boys, who are more prone to gaming and porn addiction. Haidt also criticizes overprotective parenting in the offline world while noting the lack of protection online. The book calls for significant changes, such as banning smartphones in schools and implementing stricter age verification for internet use, to mitigate these harmful effects. While some of Haidt's arguments, particularly about overprotective parenting, are less convincing, the overall message is urgent and essential, making the book a foundational text for addressing the mental health crisis among young people.

Quick quotes

    The Anxious Generation ought to become a foundational text for the growing movement to keep smartphones out of schools

    Children are spending ever less time socialising in person and ever more time glued to their screens

    There’s a God-shaped hole in every human heart,” Haidt writes, paraphrasing the French philosopher Blaise Pascal. “If it doesn’t get filled with something noble and elevated, modern society will quickly pump it full of garbage.

theguardian.com · Unknown · 2024-03-21
important 4.50

The Anxious Generation explores the alarming rise in mental illness among young people, particularly Gen Z, attributing it to the widespread adoption of smartphones and social media. The book argues that changes in parenting, schooling, and digital technology usage have created a paranoid childhood, leaving young people ill-equipped to handle life's challenges.

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt delves into the significant increase in anxiety, depression, and self-harm among young people, especially those in the Gen Z cohort. Haidt posits that the near-ubiquitous use of smartphones and social media is the primary driver of this mental health crisis. The book details how the shift from unsupervised play to structured activities, overparenting, and the culture of 'safetyism' have collectively contributed to a generation that is less resilient and more prone to mental health issues. Haidt proposes several solutions, including delaying smartphone and social media access, promoting phone-free schools, and encouraging more unsupervised play. This book is a crucial read for GPs, parents, and educators, offering a well-researched and compelling argument for the need to address these issues to foster healthier childhoods in the digital age.

Quick quotes

    The single largest reason for the tidal wave of adolescent mental illness that began in the early 2010s.

    For Haidt, the product of these changes is a paranoid childhood in which young people are constantly monitored, protected, and shielded from manageable adversity and optimally challenging experiences, which leaves them ill-equipped to navigate the inescapable stresses and challenges of everyday life.

    This book harnesses a wide range of sources of empirical evidence to chart this trend, and works hard to convince the reader that the simultaneous changes in parenting, schooling, and digital technology usage are linked in a causal rather than merely associative manner.

Appears in Lists