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

(Paperback)

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Publishing Details

Full Title:

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

Contributors:

By (Author) Jonathan Haidt

ISBN:

9781802063271

Publisher:

Penguin Books Ltd

Imprint:

Penguin

Publication Date:

25th March 2025

UK Publication Date:

2nd January 2025

Country:

United Kingdom

Classifications

Readership:

General

Fiction/Non-fiction:

Non Fiction

Other Subjects:

Teenagers: advice for parents
Popular psychology
Child, developmental and lifespan psychology
Impact of science and technology on society

Dewey:

616.8900835

Physical Properties

Physical Format:

Paperback

Number of Pages:

400

Dimensions:

Width 129mm, Height 198mm, Spine 15mm

Weight:

200g

Description

A powerful argument for reclaiming childhood - and all human relationships - from the online world, from the influential social psychologist and international bestselling author Jonathan Haidt has spent his career speaking truth and wisdom in some of the most difficult spaces - communities polarized by politics and religion, campuses battling culture wars, and now the mental health emergency hitting teenagers today in many countries around the world. In The Anxious Generation, Haidt shows how, between 2010 and 2015, childhood and adolescence got rewired. As teens traded in their flip phones for smartphones packed with social media apps, time online soared, including time spent comparing oneself to a vast pool of others. Time engaging face-to-face with friends and family plummeted, and so did mental health. But this is not just a story about technology; this profound shift took place against a backdrop of declining childhood freedom and free-play, as parents over-supervised every aspect of their children's lives offline, depriving them of the experiences they most need to become strong and self-governing adults. In this book, Haidt makes a compelling argument that the loss of play-based childhood and its replacement with a phone-based childhood that is not suitable for human development is the source of increased mental distress among teenagers. The Anxious Generation delves into the latest psychological and biological research to show the four fundamental ways in which a phone-based childhood disrupts development - sleep deprivation, social deprivation, cognitive fragmentation and addiction. Haidt offers separate in-depth analyses of what has happened to girls, and what has happened to boys, offering practical advice for parents, schools, governments, and teens themselves. Drawing on ancient wisdom and cutting-edge research, this eye-opening book is a life raft and a powerful call-to-arms.

Reviews

Compelling, readable and incredibly chilling . . . a terrifying assessment of the digital carnage . . . remarkably persuasive . . . a clarion-call to parents everywhere -- Lucy Denyer * Telegraph *
Deals seriously with counter-arguments and gaps in the evidence . . . all the suggestions sound sensible. Some even sound fun * Economist *
A game-changer for society . . . The statistics that Haidt offers are jaw-dropping . . . although this book is about young people, it will resonate with many of us . . . I cant recommend this book highly enough; everyone should read it * Irish Independent *
A book of devastating observations . . . his data is startling . . . robust scientific evidence for what we've all come to assume is true . . . it's the sheer scale of harm depicted here that should galvanise us -- Simon Ings * Spectator *
Forget horror; this is one of the most terrifying books I have read . . . some of the statistics Haidt quotes are truly shocking . . . a persuasive and rousing argument -- Anna Davis * Evening Standard *
If this important book rings enough alarms to make politicians impose a genuine social media ban on children, I believe most parents would be happy and most teenagers happier * The Times, Book of the Week *
Urgent and essential . . . it ought to become a foundational text for the growing movement to keep smartphones out of schools, and young children off social media -- Sophie McBain * Guardian *
Lucid, memorable, galvanizing -- Meghan Cox Gurdon * Wall Street Journal *
Erudite, engaging, crusading -- Tracy Dennis-Tiwary * New York Times Book Review *
I would be amazed if large parts of this book dont ring painfully true . . . Whatever we do, its time to recognise that theres been a massive shift in human behaviour -- Mark Mason * Daily Mail *
An urgent and provocative read on why so many kids are not okayand how to course correct. . . . even if youre not ready to ban smartphones until high school, this book will challenge you to rethink how we nurture the potential in our kids and prepare them for the world -- Adam Grant * author of Think Again *
Jonathan Haidt is a modern-day prophet, disguised as a psychologist. In this book, hes back to warn us of the dangers of a phone-based childhood. He points the way forward to a brighter, stronger future for us all -- Susan Cain * author of Quiet *
This is a crucial read for parents of children of elementary school age and beyond, who face the rapidly changing landscape of childhood. Haidt lays out problems but also solutions for making a better digital life with kids -- Emily Oster * author of Expecting Better *
Every single parent needs to stop what they are doing and read this book immediately. Jonathan Haidt is the most important psychologist in the world today, and this is the most important book on the topic thats reshaping your childs life right now -- Johann Hari * author of Stolen Focus *
Beautifully grounds his critique in Buddhist, Taoist and Christian thought traditions . . . his common-sense recommendations for actions...are excellent -- Judith Warner * Washington Post *
The definitive book about the pernicious effects of ubiquitous mobile phone use -- Stefano Hatfield * i *
Compelling thesis . . . interweaving distressing analysis alongside practical advice -- Ed Smith * New Statesman *

Author Bio

Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist and the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University's Stern School of Business. He is the author of The Righteous Mind and co-author of The Coddling of the American Mind.

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