I completely forgot to send this out last Sunday. Better late than never!
If there was one book I’d want in the hands of every parent and educator, it would be The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt.
This book is absolutely blowing me away, and I believe it serves as a powerful call to action for all of us who care about the well-being of our students and children.
Here’s the summary from Amazon:
In The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that hit many countries at the same time. He investigates the nature of childhood, including why children need play and independent exploration to mature into competent, thriving adults.
Haidt shows how the “play-based childhood” began to decline in the 1980s and was ultimately replaced by the “phone-based childhood” in the early 2010s.
He presents over a dozen mechanisms by which this “great rewiring of childhood” has disrupted children’s social and neurological development. From sleep deprivation and attention fragmentation to addiction, loneliness, and perfectionism, Haidt explores the wide-ranging consequences of these shifts.
He also dives into why social media harms girls more than boys, and how boys are retreating into virtual worlds with damaging consequences for themselves, their families, and society as a whole.
Some of the statistics in the book are staggering:
- The rate of teenage depression and anxiety doubled between 2010 and 2020, with girls experiencing a 57% increase in major depressive episodes during that time.
- Suicide rates among teens increased by 60% over the past decade.
- Time spent on social media has been linked to greater feelings of loneliness, especially for girls, with the average teenager spending over seven hours per day on their phone.
As educators and leaders, we see these challenges unfolding in our schools every day. This book is not just insightful—it’s a wake-up call and a reminder that we can make a difference.
In my work, I’ve had the privilege of speaking to middle and high school students directly about mental health. I share my own challenges and the lessons I’ve learned to help them better understand their emotions, manage stress, and build resilience. These talks foster honest conversations about mental health and empower students to seek help and support when they need it most.
If you’re interested in bringing this critical conversation to your school, I’d love to collaborate with you on a keynote or workshop. Together, we can equip students with the tools to navigate these challenges and thrive in today’s world.
