THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A must-hear for all parents: the generation-defining investigation into the collapse of youth mental health in the era of smartphones, social media, and big tech—and a plan for a healthier, freer childhood.

“Erudite, engaging, combative, crusading.”—New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)

“Words that chill the parental heart… thanks to Mr. Haidt, we can glimpse the true horror of what happened not only in the U.S. but also elsewhere in the English-speaking world… lucid, memorable… galvanizing.”—Wall Street Journal

“[An] important new book… The shift in kids’ energy and attention from the physical world to the virtual one, Haidt shows, has been catastrophic, especially for girls.”—Michelle Goldberg, The New York Times

Adolescent mental health declined sharply in the early 2010s, with rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide doubling on many measures. What caused this shift?

In “The Anxious Generation,” Jonathan Haidt examines the teen mental health epidemic across multiple countries. He highlights the transition from “play-based childhood” to “phone-based childhood,” identifying how this “great rewiring” disrupts children’s development through issues like sleep deprivation, attention fragmentation, and social media addiction. Haidt notes gender differences in impact, with girls more severely affected and boys retreating into virtual worlds.

Haidt proposes solutions, outlining steps for parents, educators, tech companies, and governments to address the mental illness epidemic and restore healthier childhood experiences. His data-driven approach addresses the public health crisis facing Gen Z, urging action to protect children from the psychological toll of phone-centric lifestyles.

You can find the book in the following places:

• Spotify (Free for Premium members)
• Amazon Book