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  • The Anxious Generation

  • How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness
  • By: Jonathan Haidt
  • Narrated by: Sean Pratt
  • Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (310 ratings)

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The Anxious Generation

By: Jonathan Haidt
Narrated by: Sean Pratt
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

An urgent and insightful investigation into the collapse in youth mental health, from the influential social psychologist and international bestselling author


After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents in many countries around the world deteriorated suddenly in the early 2010s. Why have rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide risen so sharply, more than doubling in many cases?

In this book, Social Psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues that the decline of free-play in childhood and the rise of smartphone usage among adolescents are the twin sources of increased mental distress among teenagers.
Haidt delves into the latest psychological and biological research to show 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 while time engaging face-to-face with friends and family plummeted, and so did mental health. This profound shift took place against a backdrop of diminishing childhood freedom, 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.

The Anxious Generation
reveals the fundamental ways in which this shift from free-play to smartphones disrupts development – from sleep deprivation to addiction – with separate in-depth analyses of the impact on girls and boys. Grounded in ancient wisdom and packed full of cutting-edge science, this eye-opening book is a life raft and a powerful call-to-arms, offering practical advice for parents, schools, governments, and teens themselves.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2024 Jonathan Haidt (P)2024 Penguin Audio
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Critic reviews

Jonathan Haidt is a modern-day prophet, disguised as a psychologist. In this book, he’s 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)
An urgent and provocative read on why so many kids are not okay—and how to course correct. . . . even if you’re 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)
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 that’s reshaping your child’s life right now (Johann Hari, author of STOLEN FOCUS)

What listeners say about The Anxious Generation

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Essential reading

I hope this book comes to be seen as one of the most important books of the decade. We all need to take this in, ask hard questions of ourselves, and push for appropriate action. Everyone should read this but especially parents. I am far from a luddite - 10+ years in tech including the last 5 in AI... Even for those of us devoting our lives to the positive impact technology can make, this book is incredibly difficult to argue with. Stop reading reviews and buy it.

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A Must Read

The most important parenting advice of our generation! In summary, we need to get our kids of their phones, off social media and playing more in the real world. A great book. Thank you Johnathan 🙏

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Sleepwalking into a mental health crisis

As ever in his books, Johnathan Haidt spells out the issues facing our society and the effects and tolls it is and has taken on the generations that have followed. i hope all schools and parents take heed and listen to some of the ideas in this book. insightful as ever in his writing, can’t recommend enough.

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Brilliant

Shinning a bright light on our phone based lifestyle and how it’s impacting our younger generation with practical tips on how we can change the status quo.

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facts to back up all claims

terrifying stuff for parents of gen Z but ESSENTIAL reading! This book has been meticulously researched and will give you real insight into your teen.

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Every parent needs to read this book

A must read for all parents this book is fascinating and terrifying in equal measure. Please read and help your children be children.

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The best insight into the failed social media experiment you will ever read

I thought I was becoming a grumpy old man. Now I can crystalise why. The move from play based childhood to phone based childhood on the back of the epidemic of Safetyism is as insidious as it is unnatural. Read the book and you will find out for yourselves.

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Depth of research

Because it spoke to so many different interested parties repetition was an issue

Nonetheless a valuable resource for parents, teachers legislators and even grandsds

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Every person on earth should read this book.

I cannot stop reccomending this book. Integral reading, not only for parents and teachers, but for all of us trying to navigate the brave new world. Highly informative, engaging and terrifying.

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Important information

Very well presented research and ideas surrounding screen use in our children and the benefits of a play based childhood. Lots of practical ideas to put the ideas into practice and very well researched and thought out. A must read for parents, educators and policy makers

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