The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness

Haidt addresses the urgent need for legislative and technological interventions to mitigate the harmful effects of social media on adolescents. He outlines the exploitative practices of tech companies and provides solutions for governments and tech firms to create a safer digital environment for young people.

Tech Companies’ Exploitative Practices

Sean Parker, Facebook’s first president, admitted that social media platforms are designed to maximize user engagement by exploiting psychological vulnerabilities. Features like “likes,” “comments,” and “infinite scroll” keep users hooked, creating a cycle of addiction similar to gambling. These platforms turn users into products, selling their attention to advertisers, which perpetuates a race to the bottom in exploiting human psychology.

Government Interventions

Haidt proposes several legislative actions to counter these issues.

Assert a Duty of Care: Inspired by the UK’s Age Appropriate Design Code (AADC), Haidt suggests that tech companies should prioritize children’s best interests. This includes setting high default privacy settings and providing clear, understandable explanations of policies to children. The AADC requires platforms to be transparent and prioritize child safety, a model already influencing laws in California and other states.

Raise the Age of Internet Adulthood to 16: Haidt argues that the current age of 13 for internet adulthood, established by the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), is too low. He suggests raising it to 16, reflecting a more appropriate age for adolescents to handle the complexities and risks of social media. This change would align with cognitive development and reduce exposure to harmful online content.

Facilitate Age Verification: Haidt highlights the importance of reliable age verification methods. He proposes using technologies like blockchain tokens, biometrics, or parent-marked devices to ensure minors’ safety online. He emphasizes that these methods should allow for anonymity while effectively verifying users’ ages.

Encourage Phone-Free Schools: To improve mental health and academic outcomes, Haidt advocates for phone-free schools. Governments can support this by funding phone lockers or lockable pouches and conducting research to validate the benefits of phone-free environments.

Real-World Solutions

Haidt stresses the need for governments to create environments conducive to children’s development.

Stopping Punishment for Real-World Freedom: Governments should revise vague neglect laws that criminalize reasonable independence for children. Laws should protect parents who allow their children to engage in age-appropriate activities without constant supervision.

Encouraging More Play in Schools: State education departments should mandate more playtime and recess in schools. Research shows that play is crucial for children’s cognitive and emotional development.

Designing and Zoning Public Spaces for Children: Cities should ensure safe, accessible public spaces for children, with good sidewalks, crosswalks, and mixed-use areas that promote social interaction and physical activity.

Promoting Vocational Education and Youth Development Programs: Governments should support vocational education, apprenticeships, and youth development programs that offer hands-on experience and help adolescents transition to adulthood.

Haidt outlines actionable strategies for schools to address the growing mental health crisis among students. He emphasizes two primary interventions: making schools phone-free and incorporating more free play.

Phone-Free Schools

Haidt illustrates the benefits of phone-free schools through the example of Mountain Middle School in Durango, Colorado. The school banned phones during the school day, which led to significant improvements in student interactions, reduced cyberbullying, and enhanced academic performance. Haidt argues that phones in pockets, even if restricted during class, still distract students and hinder social interactions. He suggests implementing strict policies where phones are stored in lockers or lockable pouches throughout the school day. UNESCO’s 2023 report supports this, showing that phone use in classrooms reduces educational performance and increases disruptions. By removing phones, schools can foster better learning environments and stronger community bonds among students.

Play-Full Schools

Haidt advocates for more unstructured free play in schools, using the example of Kevin Stinehalt, a teacher who introduced extended recess and a Play Club at his elementary school in South Carolina. These initiatives led to happier, more resilient students with fewer behavioral problems. Free play allows children to develop social skills, emotional regulation, and creativity naturally. Haidt highlights the success of the Play Club, where students engage in autonomous play with minimal adult intervention. This approach addresses the same social-emotional learning goals as structured curricula but is more effective because it aligns with children’s natural inclinations.

Additional Measures

Haidt suggests complementing these primary interventions with other actions:

The Let Grow Project: A homework assignment encouraging students to complete tasks independently, fostering confidence and a sense of competence.

Improved Recess: Providing longer recess periods, better playgrounds with loose parts and natural elements, and fewer rules to encourage imaginative play.

Re-engaging Boys: Addressing the disengagement of boys from school by offering more vocational training, shop classes, and hiring more male teachers to serve as role models.

Haidt concludes by advocating for experimental trials to test these interventions in schools. By becoming phone-free and play-full, schools can proactively prevent mental health issues, creating healthier, happier, and more engaged students.

Haidt and Lenore Skenazy provide parents with practical strategies to foster healthier development in their children by balancing independence and protection, both in the real world and online.

Historical Context and Parenting Philosophy

In The Gardener and the Carpenter (2016), developmental psychologist Alison Gopnik splits parenting approach into two categories. Traditionally, parents acted like gardeners, creating nurturing environments and allowing children to grow organically. Modern parents often adopt a carpenter approach, aiming to shape their children meticulously, which can stifle natural development. Haidt encourages parents to follow the gardening approach in age-appropriate ways.

Early Childhood (Ages 0-5): For young children, parents should focus on creating a secure, loving environment with ample real-world interaction; encourage free play with diverse age groups to enhance learning; and limit screen time, following guidelines such as those from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, which recommend minimal screen exposure and emphasize interactive, educational content over passive consumption.

Elementary and Middle School (Ages 6-13): During these years, children’s social learning accelerates. Parents should encourage independence through activities like walking to school, playing unsupervised, and participating in sleepovers; reduce reliance on screens by setting time limits and using parental controls; encourage in-person interactions; and prioritize activities that foster social skills and responsibility, like chores and camping trips.

High School (Ages 13-18)

Adolescents should gain more autonomy and take on adult-level responsibilities. Parents can promote mobility by teaching them to navigate public transport and encouraging driving; support part-time jobs, leadership roles, and meaningful community involvement; delay social media account creation until at least age 16 to allow for more mature decision-making; monitor for signs of problematic screen use; and encourage teens to maintain healthy sleep habits.

Guiding Principles

Real-World Experience: Parents should encourage activities that build competence and confidence, such as unsupervised play, part-time jobs, and wilderness adventures. These experiences help adolescents feel useful and connected.

Screen Management: Gradually increasing screen autonomy while maintaining boundaries teaches teens about the risks of social media and the importance of balanced screen time.

Parental Anxiety and Surveillance: Caregivers should recognize that over-surveillance can inhibit a child’s sense of autonomy and competence, while trusting children to navigate challenges independently fosters resilience.