Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generation is, simply put, one of the most important and vital works of nonfiction I've read, and—quite possibly—the most influential book on my wife and I's parenting style and approach to technology.
The Anxious Generation is bombshell after bombshell detonating all of our preconceived assumptions about social media, Gen Z, parenting, "safetyism," mobile phones, childhood, education, and mental health. You've probably long suspected some of Haidt's observations and conclusions, but to see them put to words—and backed by heaps and heaps of research, neuroscience, philosophy, and spiritual musings—is to have your assumptions about what we consider "normal" rocked to its very core.
I'm so thankful I read this book prior to the birth of my daughter. This is a book I want to put into the hands of every parent, want-to-be parent, teacher, politician, tech CEO, or anyone who works/engages with children and/or cares about the collective mental health of our country. I firmly believe that if enough people—especially parents of young children—read this book, it could change the trajectory of our nation's approach to technology and childhood.
In short, Haidt's argument boils down to one salient point: We've overprotected our children from the real world, and underprotected them from the virtual world.. He advocates for a return to the "play-based childhood," and points the transition to the "phone-based childhood" as the primary driver of a significant increase in anxiety, depression, and self-harm among teenagers—especially teenage girls. Additionally, because of culture's perpetual fear-based approach to child-rearing, we've left our kids woefully unprepared for the pressures of the "real world"—and points to evidence of the startling number of Gen Zers and younger Millennials who appears trapped in a state of perpetual young adulthood.
The best aspect of The Anxious Generation is how easy it would've been for Haidt to just document a series of social ills and offer a diagnosis. But the back half of this book is full of extremely practical steps, application points, and "rules" for ensuring your children don't have their neurobiology hacked by tech companies who only want to monopolize their attention—mental health consequences be damned. And, even though the harms hone in on Gen Z and younger Millennials, I find myself often convicted of my own habitual phone use throughout the course of this book and I realize even I didn't escape unscathed.
Read this book. Buy a hard copy and highlight it. I want to give a copy to all of my friends, young parents, and teachers. And not just because I want to discuss this book—but, because as Haidt points out over and over again, this is a cultural issue that requires mass collective action in order to change. So, the more people who read this book and are startled awake by its findings, then the easier it'll be to implement the changes Haidt recommends.
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Reviews with images
Book Incorrectly Published
The book was published incorrectly. It skips entire sections and doubles up other sections. For example, it jumps from page 22 to 87, which continues until page 118, and then goes back to page 55. Jonathan Haidt is a genius and it is a shame the publisher did this to his book! 5 stars for Haidt and 1 star for the publisher.
Top reviews from other countries
Alejandro Segura Millan Blake
Muy interedesante y bien fund ada su abalisis y propuesra para la infodemia que padecemos
Reviewed in Mexico on June 21, 2024
Amazon Customer
Fundamental para evoluirmos nessa discussão
Reviewed in Brazil on June 7, 2024Mike Cross
Fascinating explanation how technology and good intentions lead to disaster
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 11, 2024