The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt is a nonfiction self-help book first published in March 2024. Haidt—a social psychologist currently teaching at New York University's Stern School of Business—blends social commentary, cultural criticism, child development, and parenting advice to address a lay audience. In essence, he argues that overprotection in the real world and lack of adequate protection in the virtual world have contributed to a growing prevalence of mental health problems among adolescents.
Haidt frames the book by comparing the unknowns of new technology to the perils of colonizing Mars. He argues that the lack of research associated with the long-term effects of excessive technology use should concern everyone, especially parents. After providing an overview of how play-based childhood began to decline in the early 2010s, Haidt delves into what he calls the Great Rewiring. This refers to the massive cultural and developmental shift resulting from the rising ubiquity of screens, smartphones, and social media. A phone-based childhood decreases the prevalence of embodied, physical, synchronous, unstructured, and small group experiences and relationships. This has detrimental effects on adolescent mental health, and is exacerbated by the fact that companies knowingly exploit psychological vulnerabilities. In the final section of the book, Haidt offers various solutions, including ways to grant children more independence in real life and better protection online.
As of September 2025, The Anxious Generation has spent 77 weeks on the New York Times nonfiction bestsellers list, having reached the #1 position 11 times since its publication in March 2024. Many readers appreciate the way that Haidt integrates data, stories, and cultural observations in a compelling manner. However, critics (including academics and researchers) have noted that Haidt relies on correlational data to make causal claims (Odgers). Others also believe that Haidt oversimplifies the complex issue of adolescent mental health struggles. However, what Haidt and his critics agree on is that further research (such as on the impact of screens and social media on adolescent well-being) is warranted. The Anxious Generation helped to bring the issue into further public discussion.
