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

THE NO.1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

A TIMES, FT, ECONOMIST AND INDEPENDENT BOOK OF THE YEAR

‘Boundlessly wise . . . important and engrossing’ — The New York Times
‘One of the most important books I’ve read . . . It’s absolutely brilliant’ — Dr Rangan Chatterjee
'Urgent and essential' — Guardian

Acclaimed psychologist Jonathan Haidt reveals how the decline of free-play in childhood and the rise of smartphone use among adolescents is changing our world.

A Profound Shift in Childhood and Adolescence

From 2010 onwards, as teens transitioned from flip phones to smartphones packed with social media apps:

• Unsupervised time online soared, while
• Face-to-face conversations with friends and family plummeted — and so did mental health.

This dramatic transformation occurred alongside:

• A decline in childhood freedom, and
• An increase in over-supervision in the real world, depriving children of the essential experiences needed to grow into strong, self-governing adults.

The Impact of Smartphones on Development

The Anxious Generation explores the latest research to uncover how the shift from free-play to smartphones:

• Disrupts development, leading to:
  • Sleep deprivation
  • Addiction
• Lays the foundations of isolation and fear, shaping the society we live in today.

A Lifeline for Understanding and Change

Grounded in ancient wisdom and enriched with cutting-edge science, this book offers:

• Practical advice for navigating these challenges.
• A compelling exploration of how the rapid rewiring of human relationships and consciousness has:
  • Made it harder to think and focus.
  • Undermined our ability to forget ourselves enough to care about others.
  • Eroded the foundations for building close relationships.

This eye-opening book is a life-raft for anyone seeking to understand the most profound changes in childhood and society in human history.