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

Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt asks why teenagers' mental health deteriorated so suddenly in the early 2010s. He argues that the decline of free play and the rise of smartphones and social media 'rewired' childhood between 2010 and 2015, and he sets out practical steps for parents, schools, governments and teens themselves.

Why Dad Recommends It

If you've ever wondered when to give your child a phone, this is the book to read before you decide. Jonathan Haidt pulls together a lot of research to argue that two things changed childhood at the same time: children got far less free play and independence in the real world, while smartphones and social media took over their time online. What I find most useful is that it isn't just doom and gloom. He proposes four simple norms that families can adopt together: no smartphones before secondary school (around age 14 in his proposal), no social media before 16, phone-free schools, and far more independence and free play. It was chosen by Barack Obama as one of his favourite books of 2024, and The Economist noted that it deals seriously with counter-arguments and gaps in the evidence. That matters, because the debate around it is lively.

What Children Can Learn

When families take this book's advice, children get more time for unstructured play, more chances to do things on their own, and more face-to-face time with friends and family. Haidt argues these are the experiences children need most to grow into strong, independent adults.

What Parents Can Take From It

The big message is that it's much easier to act together than alone. If several families in a class agree to hold off on smartphones and social media, no child is left out. It also challenges parents to look at the other side of the problem: giving children more freedom offline, like walking to school, playing out with friends or running small errands. Even with younger children, it's a good prompt to agree family rules about screens now, rather than when a phone is already in their hand.