Episode notes
"The Anxious Generation", by Jonathan Haidt, is a social psychology book published in 2024.
This book examines the surge in mental illness among young people born after 1995, known as Generation Z. Haidt argues that two trends are the primary causes of this crisis:
- Overprotection of children in the real world
- Underprotection of children in the virtual world
The book investigates how these trends have led to a Great "Rewiring of Childhood", shifting from a play-based childhood to a phone-based childhood. This rewiring contributes to the epidemic of mental illness by:
- Disrupting the development of social skills
- Interfering with healthy sleep patterns
- Fragmenting attention spans
- Fostering addiction to digital devices
The author explo ...
Keywords
Mental healthAnxietySmartphones Social Media OverprotectingPlay-based childhoodAntifragilitySafetyismConcept creepCollective actionSpiritual practices