Jonathan Haidt — The Anxious Generation
The Anxious Generation is a book by American social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, published by Penguin Press in March 2024. Haidt argues that the shift from a play-based childhood to one centered around phones is linked to the rise in anxiety and depression among young people.
What you can find
The website is now part of The TAG Movement, the movement that emerged from the book. It includes a page about the book, an explanation of the problem, resources, and the latest news.
Why it is included on this list
The book is not about gender, but about technology and the mental health of young people. It is included as background for questions about online influence. Haidt’s argument is controversial among researchers: critics say the evidence mainly shows correlations and does not establish causation. See also society.
The core argument
The book was published on March 26, 2024. Haidt argues that smartphones, social media, and overprotective parenting have dramatically changed childhood, and that mental health problems among minors have increased as a result since around 2010. He identifies four types of harm caused by social media: less face-to-face interaction, sleep deprivation, fragmented attention, and addiction. In contrast, he says, there is a lack of free play and independence in the physical world. The book proposes new norms at home and at school. According to its own website, it reached number one on The New York Times bestseller list. A month earlier, Bad Therapy by Abigail Shrier was published; it argues that therapy for children without a serious disorder can reinforce anxiety and dependence.
Influence and criticism
The book has influenced policy. According to CBS News, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said he took action after his wife had read the book. This led to the Australian law banning social media for young people under sixteen. The book also recommends phone-free schools, and a growing number of U.S. states have introduced rules to that effect. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders sent a copy to every U.S. governor. Reception among scientists has been mixed. Developmental psychologist Candice Odgers wrote in Nature that the emphasis on social media may distract from the real causes of mental health problems among young people. Sociologist Mike Males and journalist Taylor Lorenz compared the argument to earlier moral panics about comic books and radio.
How to use this source
The website offers free guides for parents, teachers, and young people, chapter-by-chapter supplements, a list of corrections, and an overview of the evidence Haidt relies on. This makes it possible to follow his reasoning. Anyone who cites the book in discussions about gender and online influence is drawing a connection that Haidt himself does not place at the center. On this site, the articles about TikTok and gender dysphoria and Pinterest and gender dysphoria address that topic. See also the article about rapid-onset gender dysphoria, which also discusses criticism of that hypothesis.