The Anxious Generation

The Anxious Generation
By. Jonathan Haidt

1. Would you Recommend this Book?

If I was the Czar of America, I would force everyone to read this, AT LEAST all those whom God has entrusted with the title and task of Parent. Honestly, as much effort as one has to go through to adopt a child, is it too much to ask every Jack and Jill that walks into a hospital to welcome a new child to read this book before they can leave???


2. What is the Main Point?

The dramatic rise in anxiety, depression, self-harm and fragility among Gen Z is the result of having moved from a play-based childhood, like most of us grew up in, to a screen-based childhood. Modern parents, for whatever reason, whether care or laziness, have over-protected their children from the real world while under-protecting them from the digital world.

 
3. Which Parts should I read if I’m short on Time?

READ IT ALL, but if you just refuse, read chapters 1-4.


4. Why does this book Matter?

Heidt doesn’t simply take the low hanging fruit and argue that something is wrong with modern young people, he explains exactly what has made it this way and offers real world practical solutions to the problem. This book is making waves in the culture, praise the Lord.
 
I have told my oldest sons, who are just 18 years younger than me and are 18 years old, that they have to endure the the fortunate (though in their mind unfortunate) reality that their parents grew up on the front side of the shift to digital and social media while all of their friends’ parents did not, so we know better than to give them free reign. I am convinced that the next generation of parents will do better, because they know better and can see the harms of screen-based childhood and of social media on young minds for themselves.

Heidt’s evidence is incredibly clear, and it confirms what we are all seeing with our eyes. Let us make the change together!


5. Is this Book an “Easy-Read?” (Include Length)

Yes, Heidt is brilliant but writes in this book for normal parents. It is not short but it also isn’t long, it is around 400 pages.


6. Who is this Author and what did you think of their writing?

Heidt is a social psychologist who has spent years studying why this generation of young people struggles in seemingly novel ways, his writing is clear and incisive; he writes more as a scientist than anything.


7. What is One Key Take-Away or Application for my life?

This book not only cemented what I believed was happening with modern young people, more importantly for me is it made it clear to me that I have been guilty of overprotecting from the real world. After reading this, my children have been given much more freedom for unsupervised play, and my teenagers more freedom to learn things naturally and not have me hovering trying to protect them from all of life’s pains.
 
His 4 practical steps to take are
No smartphones before high school
No social media before age 16
Phone-free schools (not just keep it in your pocket or locker)
Restoration of Free Play and (childhood) Independence


8. What was One point of Disagreement?

Heidt is not a Christian so there is obviously dissonance there, but we need this book.


9. What are any other things that stood out to You?

Childhood brain development is being significantly hindered by always having parental supervision. Children learn from their brains being challenged to solve problems, social dilemmas, avoid pains on their own, and when parents are around, we can’t help ourselves from doing those things for them because we love them!

Risk (age-appropriate risk) is NECESSARY for children, and we have largely taken it away from modern childhood. One comedian joked that you don’t see kids in casts anymore and that this is a sign of a society on the downturn, saying, “You can’t grab a sharpie and sign someone’s anxiety disorder.”


10. Have you read any books similar to this one that you would recommend one to read first to help with this one?

No.