Did phones break an entire generation?

A groundbreaking book was released today—

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. 

Go pick it up… If you dare.

Why?

Well, it’s not terribly optimistic.

In fact, it’s downright gloomy.

If you caught the author’s op-ed in The Atlantic a couple of weeks ago, you know what I’m talking about:

Yikes.

The culprit, according to the mountains of research amassed for The Anxious Generation, is a combination of social media and smartphones.

But as you know, I’m optimistic about the future.

And I’m equally optimistic about the limitless abilities of kids in the here-and-now.

So rather than harping on the statistics that give us all stomach aches, I’m going to outline the four new norms the author has proposed, and ask for your opinions. 👇

1. No smartphones before high school

The point the author is making here is that if we can delay round-the-clock internet access until a kid is in the 9th grade, we can reduce or eliminate social media use during pubescent years, when it is most correlated with poor mental health.

2. No social media before 16

Florida is already torching a path.

Just yesterday, the state passed a law banning social media for kids under 14, even with parental consent, and now requires parental consent for 14 and 15-year-olds.

3. Phone-free schools

Research shows that even in schools that are meant to be phone free, most students do use their phones during class.

The author recommends mandatory phone lockers or locked pouches to enforce a phone-free environment at school.

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

Screen time needs to be replaced with something — the author suggests not replacing it with hyper-structured activities, but rather, with time that promotes independence and responsibility.

Like…

👉 Walking to the convenience store without a chaperone.

👉 Playing with other kids unsupervised.

👉 Working through their problems with others without being able to just “block” them.