The Anxious Generation

As a parent, it's been pretty easy to see the pernicious impact of social media on children. But this incredible book gave me such context not just on how tech has changed childhood, but how mammals have evolved in ways that makes us humans so susceptible to social media. It sent me down a rabbit hole reading everything else Jonathan Haidt has written.

As someone who writes for kids I am always interested in books and articles about today’s young people.

The Anxious Generation is a detailed description about how the introduction of smart phones around 2012 has changed childhood and ushered in a host of mental health problems for kids and adolescents. Haidt’s thesis is provocative and controversial but Haidt has the statistics and studies to back it up.

Haidt says we have been running an uncontrolled experiment with our children by giving them unfettered access to the Internet. But he does suggest solutions.

Haidt’s 4 basic rules are:

1- No smartphones… show more.

I loved The Anxious Generation because Jonathan Haidt really digs into why today’s kids are struggling so much with mental health. He captures how social media, school pressure, and other stressors pile up, and his insights made me think deeply about how we can actually help kids build resilience. It’s a powerful, eye-opening read that left me inspired to keep working toward healthier futures for kids.

As a professional creating social media, a professor teaching social media, and a parent of children who grew up in a social media age this book pulled together all I was noticing and feeling the past decade. There are negative consequences of social media use that we must consider as a society, marketing professionals, and parents. The book helps me in my approach to teaching social media strategy and my understanding of my college students who are in the generation that Haidt discusses.

Jonathan Haidt is a role model of mine. His unique insights into societal issues are not just thought-provoking but transformative. I’m a father of two sons, so Professor Haidt’s insights on the challenges of today’s youth hit close to home for me. I find his research extremely important and relevant.

While reading, I was struck by his comparison of modern online friendships to what my generation grew up with. When I was growing up, the friends and groups we hung out with were highly formative and influential. But the modern generation is forming these relationships online; it's an entirely different… show more.