Book Review: The Anxious Generation

Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is causing An Epidemic of Mental Illness (affiliate link). New York: Penguin Press, 2024. 385 pages.

This book has generated a lot of discussion. I recently reviewed Generations by Jean Twenge. She and Haidt have worked together on various projects, and Haidt draws heavily on Twenge’s research.

Haidt’s primary thesis is that between 2010-2015, smartphones and social media began to rewire people’s brains, especially Gen Z. He also charges that parents overprotected their children from physical harm and were not concerned enough about their children’s safety online. The result has been a depressed, suicidal generation that is fragile and fearful.

Haidt notes that companies did little to no research on mental health effects of their products on kids and adolescents (3). He suggests that the most intense period of rewiring spanned 2010-2015 (4). In 1998, the government passed a law saying that people had to be at least 13 to engage in social media contracts and platforms (4). The original proposal had set the age at 16, which Haidt prefers. He believes 13 is too young. He notes that there is no accountability for social media providers to abide by this law, so 40% of American children have an Instagram account before they reach age 13 (4). He also points out that people’s brains are not fully functional until they reach their 20s (5). Today’s youth are spending hours a day on social media, and their brains are being fashioned by powerful forces they are unprepared to encounter.

In 2009, Facebook introduced the “like” feature and Twitter debuted the “retweet” feature (6). In 2010, iPhones introduced front-facing cameras, which led to Instagram selfies that could be liked, ignored, or ridiculed, causing enormous angst among young people, especially girls.

Haidt argues that children need a great amount of free play time (7). During that unstructured time, kids learn critical social and problem-solving skills. The virtual world robs them of this opportunity during their formative years.

Haidt claims, “Two trends—overprotection in the real world and underprotection in the virtual world—are the major reasons children born after 1995 became the anxious generation” (9).

He outlines four key components of the real world:

He points out that all four of these key aspects are missing in the virtual world.

Haidt argues that those born after 1996 (Gen Z) differ psychologically from Millennials, who were born earlier (13). He includes an extensive discussion on the rates of anxiety and depression among Gen Z, and he demonstrates that it is directly related to the rise of the smartphone (26-28). He also points out that it is a global issue, with the same patterns evident in Canada, the UK, and Australia (39). He argues that “play is the work of childhood” (51). But much of the natural play children enjoyed for millennia has been circumvented by the smartphone.

Haidt posits that “Experience, not information, is the key to emotional development” (53). He claims, “It’s as if we gave our infants iPads loaded with movies about walking, but the movies were so engrossing that kids never put in the time or effort to practice walking” (54). Furthermore, 17% of parents claim they are distracted by their phones when they are with their children (56). Smartphones isolate people from in-person relationships.

Haidt notes that “. . . humans have an alternative ranking system based on prestige, which is willingly conferred by people to those they see as having achieved excellence in a valued domain of activity . . .” (60). He adds that in the early 2010s, “. . . millions of Gen Z girls collectively aimed their most powerful learning systems at a small number of young women whose main excellence seems to be amassing followers to influence” (61). He continues, “This may explain why Gen Z’s mental health outcomes are so much worse than those of Millennials: Gen Z was the first generation to go through puberty and the sensitive period for cultural learning on smartphones” (64).

Haidt talks about two different modes in which humans function: Discover Mode and Defend Mode (69). He claims that Gen Z are constantly operating out of fear, leading them to use Defend Mode. He notes that “As soon as Gen Z arrived on campuses, college counselling centers were overwhelmed (71). He points out that Nassim Taleb was the first person to coin the phrase “antifragile” (73).

Interestingly, Haidt offers some insights into phobias. He suggests that “few people develop phobias to things that kill many modern people” (74). Phobias can also rarely be traced to a bad experience in childhood (74). Much of the fear and anxiety among Gen Z is not based on experience.

Haidt makes strong suggestions for children’s playgrounds (77). He believes they need to involve certain risk. He notes, “Like young trees exposed to wind, children who are routinely exposed to small risks grow up to become adults who can handle much larger risks without panicking” (81). He argues, “‘Safety’ trumps everything else, no matter how unlikely or trivial the potential danger” (89). Haidt highlights some excesses, such as a playground that posts rules that children cannot play tag without adult supervision (90). The fear is that a child might be left out or traumatized if an adult is not nearby to make sure everyone is kind and inclusive.

Haidt points out that the human brain is 90% of its final size by age five, but it does not fully develop the more advanced social and adapting skills until the mid-twenties (95). He claims, “Similarly, humans are socially and culturally adaptable creatures who need a wide variety of social experiences to develop into flexible and socially skilled adults” (97).

Haidt highlights the various “rites of passage” that have traditionally marked the passing from childhood to adulthood (99). He suggests that “. . . our extremely new secular societies may be losing something important as we abandon public and communally marked rites of passage” (102). This trend is certainly causing today’s children to grow up more slowly.

Haidt also points out many of the detrimental features of smartphones. He notes that the average teen receives 192 phone alerts per day (126). People can’t actually multi-task, so they are living a constantly interrupted life. He argues that social media harms girls more than it harms boys (143). He writes, “There is a clear, consistent, sizeable link between heavy social media use and mental illness for girls . . .” (146). Boys tend to be more vulnerable to computer games. 

Haidt argues, “This is the great irony of social media: the more you immerse yourself in it, the more lonely and depressed you become” (170). Interestingly, “. . . at every level of education, from kindergarten to Ph.D., girls are leaving boys in the dust” (177). Despite their success, many girls feel depressed and have no hope.

Haidt argues that growing up as a healthy boy entails dealing with risk (180). Haidt also draws attention to the powerful influence pornography is having, especially on boys (187). In many ways, the unrealistic virtual world is ruining boys for healthy, satisfying relationships with real people. Haidt notes also that “Most video games give no practice in self-governance” (192).

Haidt confesses, “I am an atheist, but I find that I sometimes need words and concepts from religion to understand the experience of life as a human being” (201). He talks about the importance of “shared sacredness” in society (202). It is clear that people are made to relate to a higher power and to have a higher purpose. It is no wonder that the highly unreligious Gen Z is so depressed.

Haidt also points out that “Teens who play team sports are happier than those who don’t” (206). He suggests that “Social media is a fountain of bedevilments. It trains people to think in ways that are exactly contrary to the world’s wisdom traditions” (209). Haidt often notes the wisdom of Christianity and religion, yet he tends to respond from an evolutionary perspective. He confesses, “There is a hole, an emptiness in us all, that we strive to fill. If it doesn’t get filled with something noble and elevated, modern society will quickly pump it full of garbage” (216).

Haidt ends the book with several chapters outlining how parents, schools, and societies can help youth navigate the powerful and often dangerous world of social media and the Internet.

This book contains a lot of helpful and alarming information. Haidt’s observations and the studies he cites offer many helpful insights into the way people work. If you are a parent or grandparent of a young child, I strongly recommend you read this book. Parents can’t remain passive or indifferent to the effect the Internet is having on their children! There are many ways we need to be far more vigilant in protecting them from the powerful marketing and ideological influences seeking to manipulate their thinking. Parents also need to think carefully about how much freedom they give their kids in the real world. Out of love for our children, we can inadvertently make them unprepared for the real world.

I strongly recommend this book. It will make you think. It may alarm you. It will certainly cause you to consider changes you may need to make.

Rating: 3