Jumia 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.