Who is the author of The Anxious Generation?

The author of The Anxious Generation is Jonathan Haidt.

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Name: The Anxious Generation
Rating: 4.3 (189 reviews)
Author: Jonathan Haidt

Jonathan Haidt

How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness

4.3 (189 ratings)

20 mins

Topics

Family Life Mental Health Education & Upbringing The Human Condition Social Philosophy

Table of Contents

The Anxious Generation
Summary of 4 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 4

What’s in it for me? An eye-opening account of the impacts of smartphone use in childhood.

As the first generation to grow up in the era of ubiquitous digital connectivity, Gen Z has faced a surge in mental health challenges that demand our urgent attention.

This Blink dives into the impact that smartphones and social media have had on the well-being of today’s youth. By understanding the four key ways in which these technologies have eroded the traditional foundations of a healthy childhood – through social deprivation, sleep deprivation, attention fragmentation, and addiction – you’ll gain insights into addressing this mental health crisis.

Importantly, this Blink also provides actionable steps that you, as a parent, caregiver, or concerned citizen, can take to mitigate these harms and foster environments that nurture the essential elements of child development. Whether you’re raising a family or are simply worried about the future of our young people, get ready to equip yourself with the knowledge to support the next generation.

Smartphones are behind a worrying rise in childhood and adolescent mental health issues

In the early 2000s, the mental health landscape among preteens and adolescents appeared relatively stable, with no clear indications of an impending crisis. But the next decade brought about a dramatic shift: mental health issues among Generation Z children and teenagers began to surge at an alarming rate.

To put this phenomenon into perspective, consider the findings of a US National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The data reveals a staggering 145 percent increase in reported cases of depressive episodes among girls since 2012. For boys, the rise is even more pronounced, with a 161 percent increase in reported cases of depressive episodes over the same period. The impact extends beyond self-reported symptoms, with college students receiving a 134 percent increase in anxiety, a 106 percent increase in depression, a 72 percent increase in ADHD, and a 57 percent increase in bipolar disorder diagnoses since 2012. This surge in mental health challenges is, with the exception of some young millennials, largely confined to the Gen Z demographic.

The statistics only begin to scratch the surface. Among girls, there has been a 188 percent increase in emergency room visits for self-harm since 2010, and a 167 percent rise in suicide rates. For boys, the numbers are also alarming, with a 48 percent increase in self-harm-related ER visits and a 91 percent surge in suicide rates.

What accounts for this dramatic shift in the mental health landscape of Gen Z? The answer may lie, in part, with the widespread adoption of smartphones and the corresponding changes in the social fabric of adolescence. Smartphones, first introduced in 2007 and widely adopted by the 2010s, have profoundly influenced the way young people interact, communicate, and engage with the world around them.

Studies have shown that tweens and teens who accessed the internet in the 1990s and early 2000s were, on average, slightly happier during their adolescence than their Gen X predecessors. However, this trend reversed dramatically with the widespread adoption of smartphones, which enabled adolescents to be connected and online constantly, wherever they were. By 2016, 79 percent of teens owned a smartphone, as did 28 percent of children aged 8 to 12. Alarmingly, a 2022 Pew report indicates that 46 percent of teens describe themselves as being online “almost constantly.”

This shift in the social landscape of childhood and adolescence, often referred to as the “Great Rewiring of Childhood,” has had a significant impact on the mental health of Gen Z. As their social lives have increasingly moved online through the constant access to social media, video gaming, and other internet activities, the first generation of teens in the United States to go through adolescence with this level of connectivity has become more anxious, depressed, and suicidal than any generation recorded before them. This troubling trend is not limited to the US; studies across Canada, the UK, and the Nordic states have reported similar findings, suggesting that this is a global phenomenon.

While other factors, such as anxiety surrounding global issues like climate change, may also contribute to the mental health outcomes of Gen Z, the ubiquity of smartphone usage and the corresponding changes in social dynamics appear to be the primary drivers behind this tidal wave of mental illness. As we grapple with the implications of this crisis, it’s clear that a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between technology, social interaction, and adolescent development is needed to develop effective strategies for supporting the mental health of our youth.

Play-based childhoods, not phone-based childhoods, promote healthy development

Why has the introduction of the smartphone been so detrimental to children’s and adolescents’ mental health? The answer may lie not just in what the smartphone gives them access to – social media, photo filters, addictive games, and more – but in what time spent on a smartphone takes away from them. Specifically, the introduction of the smartphone has eroded the traditional play-based childhood, with far-reaching consequences for the mental well-being of Generation Z.

Humans have a longer childhood than any other mammal, and there’s a good reason for this. The slower pace of human development allows the brain to undergo a critical process of synaptic pruning, where the connections that are used frequently are strengthened while those that are used rarely fade away. This process of pattern and habit formation is evolutionarily designed to occur through three key areas: free play, attunement, and social learning. Smartphones have enticed children into a virtual world, where it’s challenging to fully explore these three critical functionalities.

From sleep deprivation to attention fragmentation, smartphone use dangerously impacts children’s health

There’s no doubt that the rapid shift from flip phones to smartphones at the end of the 2000s and the start of the 2010s has dramatically transformed the nature of childhood. In this section, we’ll outline the four major ways in which smartphones have adversely impacted the mental well-being of young people.

First up? Social deprivation. As we know, in-person, play-based social interactions are fundamental to a child’s healthy social development. But from 2009 onward, the time children spend interacting with friends face-to-face has dropped markedly. Even when children and teens do spend time together, they increasingly do so with their phones in hand, diminishing the quality of their interactions. This trend extends to family life as well, as parents too have become distracted by their smartphones. In a study of children aged 6–12, 62 percent reported that their parents were “distracted” when they tried to talk with them, with the primary reason being smartphone use.

The negative impacts of smartphones and social media can be curbed

Many adults who care for children and teens in some capacity are already well aware of the deleterious impact that smartphone use is having on this group’s mental and social well-being. The question then becomes, What can be done to address this pressing issue and support the healthy development of young people in the digital age?

To achieve a lasting, positive transformation, structural changes need to occur at the societal level. In the United States, governments have taken a paradoxical approach to protecting children – zealously enforcing vague “child neglect” laws to overprotect them in the physical world while underprotecting them in the virtual realm. Governments should take proactive steps to address this imbalance, such as passing laws that compel online companies, including social media and gaming platforms, to treat underage users with an extra duty of care. The age of “internet adulthood” should be raised to 16, recognizing the unique vulnerabilities of adolescents. At the same time, governments should institute more opportunities for free play and recess in the school system, and narrow neglect laws so parents can legally allow their children to engage in unsupervised play.

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What is The Anxious Generation about?

The Anxious Generation (2024) argues that the decline of play in childhood and the rise of smartphone usage among adolescents are the twin sources of increased mental distress in Generation Z. Grounded in psychological and biological research, this eye-opening text explores how the profound shift from play-based to phone-based childhoods has disrupted adolescent development – and offers practical advice to address this crisis.

The Anxious Generation Review

The Anxious Generation (2022) delves into the complex psychological factors contributing to the rise of anxiety among young people today. Here's why this insightful book stands out:

Packed with research-backed insights, it sheds light on the driving forces behind the anxious trends and offers practical solutions.
By exploring the impact of technology, social media, and cultural shifts, it provides a comprehensive understanding of the modern sources of anxiety.
The book's thought-provoking analysis challenges conventional wisdom, making it a compelling and eye-opening read for anyone navigating the pressures of contemporary society.

Who should read The Anxious Generation?

Parents and carers concerned about their children’s smartphone use
Educators and psychologists perturbed by increased rates of mental illness among Gen Zers
Anyone addicted to their smartphone

About the Author

Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist and professor of ethical leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business. He’s the author of several influential books exploring the moral foundations of political and social divides, including The Righteous Mind and The Coddling of the American Mind.

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