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The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness
THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - A must-read for all parents: the generation-defining investigation into the collapse of youth mental health in the era of smartphones, social media, and big tech--and a plan for a healthier, freer childhood.
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Community Reviews
I found this book to include good information, though a bit dated as those of us with kids now in their 20's have been living this for 15 years. There was nothing new in here. I gave the book a low rating because I found it very repetitive. I thought all the information could have been contained in a long article. Worthwhile info . Too much repetition.
This was my book clubs July book of the month. I started it as an ebook and it reads very collegiate and you want to take the time to read it. Then recently I was able to get the audiobook and finished it in 2 days while driving in this holiday traffic. Itâs like attending a lecture. This book is phenomenal but also f*ck me. I have kids from 18 to 2. It has made me very aware. I highly recommend it.
2.5 stars, rounded up
Iâll give Jonathan Haidt this: The Anxious Generation nails one thing right â kids and social media are a messy combo. Iâm fully on board with the idea that we should keep younger kids off social platforms and seriously limit how much time older ones spend scrolling. Itâs hard to argue against the growing pile of research showing how harmful constant online engagement can be for mental health. So on that front, Haidt had me nodding along.
But his tendency to wrap a complex crisis in overly neat explanations didnât sit quite right. At times it felt like he was manipulating data to prove his thesis to avoid a nuanced and messy conversation. Mental health is a tangled issueâsimplifying it down to screen time and parenting styles only scratches the surface, in my opinion.
I also found myself rolling my eyes at some of Haidtâs glamorization of the era in which he grew up. Thereâs a subtle but consistent right-leaning undertone as he critiques modern parenting, education, and cultural shifts. While itâs not overtly partisan, itâs hard to ignore. Instead of engaging with all sides of these complex issues, Haidt often leans into a âback in my dayâ mindset that can feel dismissive and oversimplified.
Iâll give Jonathan Haidt this: The Anxious Generation nails one thing right â kids and social media are a messy combo. Iâm fully on board with the idea that we should keep younger kids off social platforms and seriously limit how much time older ones spend scrolling. Itâs hard to argue against the growing pile of research showing how harmful constant online engagement can be for mental health. So on that front, Haidt had me nodding along.
But his tendency to wrap a complex crisis in overly neat explanations didnât sit quite right. At times it felt like he was manipulating data to prove his thesis to avoid a nuanced and messy conversation. Mental health is a tangled issueâsimplifying it down to screen time and parenting styles only scratches the surface, in my opinion.
I also found myself rolling my eyes at some of Haidtâs glamorization of the era in which he grew up. Thereâs a subtle but consistent right-leaning undertone as he critiques modern parenting, education, and cultural shifts. While itâs not overtly partisan, itâs hard to ignore. Instead of engaging with all sides of these complex issues, Haidt often leans into a âback in my dayâ mindset that can feel dismissive and oversimplified.
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