Each meeting will be from 2:30 - 3:30 on Monday's

• January 6

• January 21

• February 4

• February 13

Jan 6th

• Introduction -Part 1- A Tidal Wave

Jan 21th

• Part 2- The Backstory

Feb 4th

• Part 3 - The Great Rewiring

Feb 13th

• Part 4 - Collective Action for Healthier Childhood

The main factors that Haidt identifies as contributing to the rise of anxiety among younger generations are the increasing access to technology during vulnerable developmental stages and the shift toward overprotecting children & restricting their autonomy in the real world.

Since the 1980s, free time has declined at a rapid pace. Time for children to exist in the world unsupervised has rapidly decreased, and the anxiety of bad things happening to unsupervised children (such as kidnapping) has grown. Haidt describes the shift from "play based childhood" to "phone based childhood" which became a complete transition by the mid 2010s.

Children and adolescents have instant gratification with social media, being able to take selfies and post them and immediately get reactions and comments from friends and strangers alike. This directly impacts self-esteem, self-image, confidence, bullying, and a steady decline in mental health (with growing numbers of children and adolescents experiencing depression, anxiety, etc.). He provided evidence including when teens received iPhones, the depression rate went up.

The main factors that Haidt identifies as contributing to the rise of anxiety among younger generations is what he refers to as “the Great Rewiring of Childhood” which occurred from 2010 to 2015 when the social lives of American teens moved largely onto smartphones. Haidt specifically focuses on smart phones, or when access to the internet could be all the time, anywhere. The change to phone-based childhood from play based childhood is what Haidt primarily identifies as the main contributor to the rise of anxiety in Gen Z. He also focused on a shift toward overprotecting children and restricting their autonomy in the real world (while continuing to underprotect in the online world).

Haidt identifies several main factors contributing to the rise of anxiety among younger people; "helicopter parenting", social media and screen time, the decline in unstructured play and changing academic pressures. He argues that the increasing tendency of parents to shield children from risks has limited their ability to develop resilience. Our culture prioritizes emotional and physical safety above all else, leaving young people less prepared for real-world challenges. The widespread use of social media has changed how young people interact, leading to increased feelings of inadequacy, comparison, and cyberbullying. He emphasizes that unstructured play helps children develop social and emotional skills, and its absence may contribute to heightened anxiety. The increasing competitiveness in academics creates significant stress for young people, who often feel they must excel in all areas to succeed.

Haidt connects broader societal changes with rising anxiety through specific examples such as

social media's impact on development: highlighting the introduction of social media as a pivotal moment. He points out that rates of anxiety, depression, and self-harm began to spike after this. He describes how universities began adopting policies that reinforce fragility, such as trigger warnings and safe spaces, which inadvertently may reduce students' resilience. He discusses how younger generations are coming of age in a world marked by economic challenges, such as student debt and housing affordability, which compounds their stress and anxiety. He references how societal fears of danger, like stranger abduction, led to laws and cultural norms that discourage independence in children, restricting their freedom to explore and build confidence.

In regards to the role of social media with today's youth: a comparison culture, cyberbullying, sleep disruption and gender disparities should all be considered concerning. Young people see idealized versions of their peers', leading to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. Pointing to studies showing that online harassment is more pervasive and damaging than in-person bullying. He highlights evidence linking increased screen time with poor sleep quality, which in turn exacerbates anxiety and depression.

Haidt repeatedly highlights the transition from a "play-based childhood" to a "phone-based childhood" as the primary cause for "The Great Rewiring". One of the primary reasons children are on screens much more often is the overprotection of children in the real world, which has led to parents giving their children less autonomy, in a trend he refers to as "fearful parenting". Haidt asserts that "children require exposure to setbacks, failures, shocks, and stumbles in order to develop strength and self reliance. Overprotection interferes with this development and renders young people more likely to be fragile and fearful as adults." Additionally, Haidt mentions that parents are often distracted by their phones when interacting with their children. This distraction is "interfering with the bond between parent and child" which can further lead to mental health problems.

Fearful parenting and overprotection has also trickled into the education system. On page 90, there is a picture of "Tag Rules", which are posted on an elementary school playground in Berkeley, California. It includes rules like "include everyone" and "resolve disagreements with Rock-Paper-Scissors" and leaves little room for children to practice their own conflict resolution skills. Children are generally not allowed to take many risks during recess, which seems safe but may be impacting their mental health negatively in the long run. Haidt writes that "safetyism is dangerous because it makes it harder for children to learn to care for themselves and to deal with risk, conflict, and frustration."

I think the biggest solution we can offer is to let children take risks and explore the world on their own (within reason, of course). Haidt writes that kids want to take the risks they are ready for. Examples include, letting kids help prepare dinner or letting them walk to a neighborhood friend's house by themselves.

Haidt believes there has been a shift in parenting trend with respect to protection and care during the last two decades. As adults, children today are profoundly more anxious and depressed than they used to be. He explains that over-restriction of activities and an increase in usage of phones and social media have negatively impacted their mental health He further explains that this paradigm shift in parenting has changed the traditional childhood experience which was more focused on playing freely. Haidt maintains that parents' protection and scrutiny of children and the use of social media may simultaneously lead to heightened levels of anxiety among children.

Excessive use of social media puts children under constant comparison which affects their self-worth, as it often leads them to feel lonely and depressed. the parental overprotection denies children the opportunity to cope with challenges.

The emotional and psychological wellbeing of students is becoming an increasing area of focus within schools. This has the potential risk of making students ignore challenges. According to Haidt, this does not support personal growth, instead it encourages a victim mentality.

Modeling healthy behavior, reducing screen time, encouraging independence and free play, strong social connections, and encouraging a growth mindset. His solutions are focused on creating environments that enhance young people’s chances of dealing with life’s challenges with emotional strength.

What are the main factors that Haidt identifies as contributing to the rise of anxiety among younger generations?

How does Haidt describe the evolution of parenting styles over recent decades? What impact does he believe this has had on children's mental health?

Haidt describes parenting styles evolving from a style in which children could engage in unstructured free play and take risks to a style that is highly structured, less risky. Parents seem to be focused on the wrong threats, he says. Children's whole understanding of self and identity are now being curated by what they see on social media. Anxiety and depression have skyrocketed as a result.

Schools contribute to the anxiety of students. Schools and parents have worked hard to remove any and all activities that involve any sort of risk-taking (physical and emotional), such as instilling strict playground/play rules.

Allow for risks to occur so children can grow and lean into the "Discover Mode". Allow for some stressors to occur so that they can learn to overcome hurdles. I particularly like Haidt's suggestions for even-year birthday celebrations linked to new responsibilities, new freedoms and allowances.

a. No smartphones before high school. Haidt recommends flip phones, "dumb phones" and watches are better if needed.

b. No social media before 16

c. Phone-free schools

d. More independence, free play, and responsibility in the real world.

Younger people continuously compare and assess or evaluate themselves against their peers or even other people and their online images. It can result in increased anxiety, as well as a feeling of inadequacy with a negative impact on their self-image - instead they should be building a core self from experiences. Self-esteem, the fear of missing out, comparison, trying to be perfect and lack of real world interactions all have a role in the anxiety experienced by younger generations.

Screen time should be balanced with conventional offline pursuits - more physical play and in-person activities with friends. Kids should be given a chance to develop their individuality while connecting with members of society. Limiting screen time, promoting unstructured play, encouraging face to face interactions, and parents that model that behavior would help with achieving the balance.

In helping build identify for our kids, Haidt suggests that engaging in commonly held norm-based rituals and sharing milestones might be more effective than each family having their own practices. For example, age 6 children are contributing to household chores, age 8 play and hangout in groups without adult supervision, it goes on every two years from there until 21 when they are reached legal adulthood.

Communities can support young people by limiting screen time, especially while they are young. There is a lot of pressure on parents to allow their child to have a phone and be on social media platforms because other kids are on them, and no one wants their child to feel left out. In other words, parents tend to do what other parents are doing. If parents come together to decide on an age when they feel it is appropriate for children to have smart phones, it would limit the issue of children feeling isolated if they aren't on the screen. Communities can also support one another by promoting safe play in the real world.

Puberty can be a difficult time in general, but it seems that social media and online platforms have been causing a spike in mental health issues in pre-teens and teens. Haidt writes that "social media appeals to the desire for communion, but often ends up frustrating it" (171). On apps like instagram and facebook, visual comparison is inevitable. During a time of life when insecurity and self doubt is prevalent, visual comparison can be a huge detriment to a young person's self esteem. Since platforms like Instagram and Snapchat have so many filters that alter a person's appearance to fit societal beauty standards, this can further spike a teen's feelings of insecurity. Furthermore, puberty is a time in which social connection with peers is key, but "spending hours 'connecting' with others online produces an increase in the quantity of social interactions and a decrease in the quality" (197).

Communities can support a sense of community belonging and promote individual identity pursuits by establishing a balance between outdoor free play and screen time. Children and teens need to connect with one another in order to develop in a healthy way. If parents agree to prioritize real-world play, children can connect with one other free of screens for more authentic socialization and healthier social development. Schools can also strike this balance by being responsive to the needs of their students and promoting engagement in the classroom.

Haidt labels the issue of smartphones as “Collective Action Problems” because it is.  As a mom of an 8 year old and a 5 year old (both girls), this book really resonates with me.  A few ways we can foster resilience is by banding together to educate children and families.  I really love the idea of signing a pledge in elementary school to pledge not getting a phone until 8th grade.  The collective coordination is huge.  Haidt also really educates the reader about the impacts of social media and I feel that we should be educating parents about this whenever we can.  “Knowledge is power” and just sharing information and solutions with families will result in more of an awareness of smartphones.  Hopefully this will foster resilience and the not feeling pressured to give your child a smartphone.

Throughout part 3 of “The Anxious Generation”, Haidt references the negativity of identity formation linked to social media and the impact on our younger generations.  Kids are using social media (Instagram, YouTube, etc) to gauge what is expected of them.  How they are to look and act.  What they should expect in life, by watching stunts and pornography, or by watching influencers pose for pictures, demonstrating how teens should look.  Chapter 6 begins with the story of an 11 year old and how she found her way to Instagram and then eating disorders, anxiety, and depression.  Haidt goes on to outline how, especially girls, use social media to measure their worth.  He lays out the fake imagery girls are comparing their looks to with the real image.  How more boys are accessing pornography and watching sexually explicit content.  He goes on to discuss how cyberbullying, shared emotions and disorders are accessed and shared on social media.  Granting access to young children and teens sets the kids up for a false sense of what their self should be.  Kids are then scrambling to mimic these false senses and they are failing at reaching these unattainable marks.  This is resulting in a decline in mental health.   

The main factors that Haidt identifies as contributing to the rise of anxiety among younger generations are social media and digital connections-causing a case of FOMO amongst teens, academic and career pressure- causing a feeling of inadequacy, uncertainty about their futures- due to climate change, the changes in parenting styles- not getting to face challenges independently- helicopter parenting, and social disconnections- being so connected to others but also not really connected to anyone.

Haidt connects societal changes with an increase in anxiety because there is a new shift towards 'safetyism' where there is an emphasis on safety. Children are not encouraged to take risks to build resilience through challenges now. Helicopter parenting has limited younger generations, ability to find resilience causing higher anxiety when faced with difficult situations.

The role of social media in shaping experiences with today's youth because of the constant comparison socially, having FOMO, seeking validation and approval, cyberbullying and harassment, disruption in sleep, addition and escapism, as well as an increased pressure to perform highly.

Normalizing play-based childhood and not having a phone at a young age, not before age 16 preferably. There is an immense amount of pressure on parents to buy phones for their kids to blend in with their peers and fit in, and this emphasis from community (especially from the tech world) can be changed.

As youth are forming their identities, the impact that phones, screens, and social media can have on their mental health (particularly, the presentation of anxiety) is immense. During that sensitive period in an adolescent's life, if they are concerned about what's going on with their friends online, FOMO (what they are missing out) and fitting in with the newest technology, and being on social media, etc... it correlates with higher anxiety rates.

According to Haidt, there are ways to help balance the development of individual identity and community belonging. As children and youth are developing their identities, it's crucial that they do not lose their sense of belonging - which can happen when their identity is heavily leaning on the internet community and social media. Haidt stresses the importance of increasing the opportunities for phone-free, play-full experiences. He says that he does not want parents to think that they have to structure their time with their kids as overly educational and not allow any down-time etc., but to be more mindful of their behavior around their kids especially the time the spend on their own phones. Also, to utilize more meaningful screen time opportunities when giving kids time on their devices.

The biggest key takeaway I have from this section of the book is nothing can change unless there is a collective effort to change it. Since "each parent decides that it is best to do what every other parent is doing", parents should communicate with other parents about what is going on with their children, and come up with solutions together, so no child feels that they are being ostracized from their peers. An example of this is the Wait Until 8th group, where "parents sign a pledge when their child is in elementary school that they will not give their child a smartphone until 8th grade"

One big insight that can be applied in schools is the importance of play for child development. Kids are in school for many hours, and there is no denying that academic work is important. However, Haidt points out that play is just as important for promoting autonomy, problem solving, and self-regulation skills. That being said, there should be parts of the school day in addition to recess that provide opportunities for free play

The most significant change that needs to be made is the transition from a phone-based childhood back to a play-based childhood, especially in younger children.

It takes a village! Everyone has to be on board with making changes to how students utilize the internet esp. social media. As a collective unit (schools, students, parents, doctors, gov't, etc.) need to be educated on the impact that social media is having on our youth. If we are all in it together and the messaging and actions taken are the same from all stakeholders, perhaps this would alleviate anxiety among our kids. The book mentioned how one school went phone free and the significant changes they saw. I'm curious to see how the data shifts in test scores and anxiety among students in NY if schools go phone free.

I absolutely love the idea of Let Grow and how it facilitates more play based activities that younger children can be engaged in that will enhance their social skills. It can benefit schools greatly to give students more "free" time during the school day so they are gaining more face to face time with their peers. Offering extracurricular activities and clubs in the school or community in which students live would be another great way to offer play based experiences and keep them off their devices. Perhaps schools offering parent nights with topics like this could bring awareness to parents and students. Doctors can be discussing this with kids at exams/physicals too.

A couple of things come to mind:

1. Less focus on protecting our kids from everything that could go wrong outside of our home (AKA helicopter parents) and more protection over their internet use.

2. Play-based is crucial to the healthy development of our youth, they learn many valuable life skills that will help them as they transition into young adults.

3. Tech companies are like Big Tobacco!

Smartphones are contributing to a concerning increase in mental health problems among children and teenagers. Childhoods filled with play, rather than screen time, support healthy growth and development. Issues like sleep deprivation and fragmented attention are serious consequences of smartphone use that can harm children's well-being. However, the adverse effects of smartphones and social media can be mitigated.

Establish phone-free zones! Prohibit phone use during class and recess. Increase recess duration: Allow for more time dedicated to play and social-emotional learning. Foster a supportive community: Promote group work and inquiry-based projects. Empower students: Encourage them to take risks and learn from their mistakes. Strike a balance between safety and freedom: Offer opportunities for independent play.

It's important to address the effects of social media and technology on mental well-being - promote healthy coping strategies, and ensure that mental health services are easily accessible to all young people.A crucial shift required in society to enhance the mental health of younger generations is to normalize and encourage open discussions about mental health. This involves reducing the stigma associated with seeking help and incorporating mental health education and support systems into schools and workplaces from an early age.

My biggest take away is that people have to be willing to make changes, even if the larger group of collective parents aren’t making those changes yet. Although, yes, the group as a whole needs to collectively change our policies and commit to helping educate parents, changes like this start small. Haidt’s suggestions are do-able, but parents need to start in their own homes and through conversations with other parents. 

Schools can implement education for parents into parents nights and through their own social media platforms. We also have the ability to set policies, develop groups of teachers to work together to plan for how to best address the issue. 

I think the most significant change needed to society would be helping parents and educators learn how to offer opportunities for screen-free play options and connections with kids. Outside of sports, I think many parents struggle to know how to connect with their kids without a screen, or how to offer them downtime. Schools struggle with implementing a no-phone policy due to fear of community back-lash.