The Anxious Generation: Childhood Rewired, Mental Illness Epidemic

Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generation explores a potential connection between the rise of smartphone use and social media among young people since the early 2010s and a corresponding surge in adolescent mental health issues like anxiety and depression. The book examines how a phone-based childhood may contribute to social deprivation, sleep loss, fragmented attention, and addiction, impacting development. Haidt discusses differences in how this technological shift affects girls versus boys, noting girls show higher rates of internalizing disorders linked to social media, while boys may experience disengagement in the real world, partly due to increased time spent gaming and viewing pornography. Ultimately, the text proposes strategies for governments, tech companies, schools, and parents to address these trends and foster healthier childhoods.