Jonathan Haidt’s latest book The Anxious Generation came out on March 26th. It has since reignited the debate about social media, young people, and mental health. I have now read the book. I’ve read the reviews and critiques. I’ve listened to the podcasts. And I’m finally ready to offer my “hot take”—which is actually now a very cold take I’ve been thinking through over the past month (plus 12+ prior years of research).
Note: this is my current thinking on these issues, which I’m sure will continue to evolve as new research comes out, and as we work toward finding the best possible solutions.
So, here goes nothin’!
What’s the book about?
The central premise is that rates of mental illness have been rising in young people since the early 2010s, and smartphones and social media are largely to blame (see the accompany Atlantic piece). Haidt argues that childhood independence and play have been declining since the 1980s, and that the transition to a “phone-based childhood” between 2010 to 2015 accelerated this problematic shift.
He also proposes solutions for governments, tech companies, schools, and parents to “roll back” this phone-based childhood, like enacting age verification and waiting to give kids smartphones until high school.
…
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