Reviews with content warning for Eating disorder - The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness

Love the data to back how hat we all suspect when it comes to kids and screen time. Horrifying how deep it can go to affect not just mental health but emotion, and physical health of kids raised on a “digital childhood”. Super interesting that data can show the “great rewiring” across MANY countries (not just US) in 2012 and appreciate all the data and charts he makes available as supplements on the book’s website . Well done and I’ll definitely be recommending to everyone I talk to as well as referring back when j petition our schools to go phone free!!

Content Warnings

whitne_ey's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.0

Content Warnings

jehansen127's review against another edition

Go to review page

informative medium-paced

4.0

Content Warnings

himpersonal's review against another edition

Go to review page

informative fast-paced

5.0

I’m not really sure how relevant the observations and advice in this book will be in a couple of generations. I think our current younger generations (mostly whom will be unaware of the practices outlined) will figure out how to get through life in different ways out of necessity. What we know about child development will change epigenetically. So I’d be interested in testing this book against the world in about 30 years. Until then, what’s provided seems infinitely beneficial. I can already see it play out in my life a little - my older nephew learned to read and write in Korean as a toddler on YouTube, but there’s a distinct and immediately noticeable difference between him and my niece who only knew Elmo through books and only started getting screen time probably at age four or five, and it was one episode of Daniel Tiger a week and a yoga program she did with her dad. My niece is a lot more excited about new experiences and meeting new people. There are many factors that distinguish them, but I’ve kind believed their access to screen times was a big contributor.

Content Warnings

overbookedmama's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging informative slow-paced

3.0

It pains me to say that like most parenting and non-fiction books I read, this could’ve been a blog post. Jonathan Haidt explores several key ideas including the decline of play-based childhoods and the rise of phone-based childhood which disrupts social, emotional, and cognitive development in adolescents, leading to increased anxiety and depression. Some of the negative impacts of social media he calls out are comparison and perfectionism, sleep deprivation, attention deficit, and cyberbulling. Interestingly, he reprimands today’s helicopter parents and says a culture of risk aversion has made children more vulnerable. It’s more important now to foster resilience and encourage independence to give them skills to navigate challenges in life. Haidt recommends that parents reduce screen time now for younger children and delay smart phones until age 16, encourage unstructured play, model coping and problem-solving skills, and freshen up on critical media literacy skills. Most of the tips in the book were things parents hear over and over again. It’s up to us to prioritize face-to-face interactions, set clear boundaries surrounding screen use, and lead by example. I’m a proponent of having open dialogue with my children even though they’re quite young. I’m seeing their attention being impacted by their iPad use and I’m glad that their schools are phone-free. There was a good amount of fear mongering in this book but I think the author uses it to drive his point home. The Anxious Generation is rooted in opinions but does provide some data behind the author’s claims. I’m not sure how I feel about the inclusion of gender differences and the impact of social media on girls vs. boys. I think you could skip this chapter if you’re skeptical.

Content Warnings

kirstieanya's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark hopeful informative fast-paced

5.0

Alarming. Concise. Essential.

I didn't really research this book before starting; I just saw a book on anxiety that was free to read, picked it up, and am profoundly glad that I did.

As a childless twenty-something, Gen-Z cusper, I don't think this book was aimed at me; however, it made me contemplate the digital age we live in, how it has impacted me personally, and how it will definitely younger generations.

Every chapter covers a key way in which phone-based lives are changing our mental health. The initial chapters introduce the subject, quoting alarming statistics about the drastic increase in mental health problems in adolescents after 2010 (around the time of the first iPhone with a front-facing camera and the shift towards an appearance-/judging-based social media).

One of the most interesting sections was the discussion of the ways in which society has changed and the reduction of "free play" due to the "overprotection" of children in real life (a subject, from this book, I have conflicting views on), which led to the increase of unprotected online life.

The author goes on to discuss the key differences between how different media affect boys and girls and the statistics that back this up.

The final chapters make some powerful arguments and suggestions for the ways in which parents, schools, and government could and should protect children from becoming so effected by online content. With the understanding that from now on, social media and online lives will be unavoidable, it provides data-based suggestions on how to limit the damage it can cause.

This book made me even more grateful to have been past the most vulnerable age when Instagram became as prevalent, addictive, and edited as it is today. This book is essential reading for any parent, teacher, or caregiver. The writing was succinct, understandable, and powerful. As a warning and a manual for current and future carers, I cannot fault this book, and I will definitely re-read it if I ever have children myself.

Content Warnings

e_f_p21's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.25

Content Warnings

More...