Books The Anxious Generation Book by Jonathan Haidt

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt explores the sharp rise in mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide among adolescents beginning in the early 2010s. Haidt links this epidemic to the widespread adoption of smartphones and social media, marking a profound shift from a "play-based childhood," characterized by independent exploration and face-to-face social interactions, to a "phone-based childhood" dominated by digital engagement. He documents over a dozen ways this transition has disrupted children's social and neurological development, contributing to problems like sleep deprivation, addiction, loneliness, and heightened anxiety.

Haidt also points to a paradoxical "double bind" in parenting: while children receive overprotective "real-world" parenting limiting their independence, they simultaneously experience "under-parenting" online through unrestricted, unsupervised digital access. The book combines data analysis with developmental psychology to explain why the loss of free play and increased screen time have rewired childhood brains in harmful ways.

Finally, Haidt proposes practical solutions aimed at parents, educators, policymakers, and technology companies to restore healthier childhood environments that balance digital exposure with real-world interaction and foster resilience and wellbeing for the next generation.

This work has been praised for its thorough research and timely insight, stirring important conversations about technology's impact on youth mental health worldwide