The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

Are Our Kids Doomed?

The first time I saw a kid with an iPhone, my jaw dropped. They were six years old, swiping and tapping at that mesmerizing screen. I remember thinking, “This can’t be good.” I was right.

A while back, I got my hands on Jonathan Haidt’s book, The Anxious Generation. The man makes a solid case about why kids glued to their smartphones are more anxious, depressed, and worse, suicidal.

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness

The Stats Don’t Lie

Haidt didn’t pull his findings out of his hat. He backs everything up with science. It’s a scary picture. Did you know that after 2012, teen suicides skyrocketed? Girls suffered the most. Anxiety, depression, the works. It’s hard to argue with those trends.

Amazon.com: The Anxious Generation By Jonathan Haidt

Of course, correlation isn’t causation. But, come on, it’s no coincidence that these mental health problems exploded right when social media took over our kids’ lives. Haidt breaks it down, looking at things like sleep deprivation (hello, late-night scrolling), loneliness, and constant online comparison. It’s like…