The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

I have to be honest, this book made me very anxious. It made me want to crawl into my bed with a bag of corn Doritos and watch "All My Children." But sadly, the shows of my youth and my favorite salty snack are no longer available. Now we have smartphones and the internet, for good and for bad. "The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt is a deep-dive into how smartphones, social media, and big tech have ruined the mental health of our children. Gone are the days of children riding their bikes and playing outside because they are now too busy inside making content for Tik Tok. The author outlines how the abundance of technology has caused our children to suffer from depression, anxiety, self-harm, as well as suicide. He makes a strong case explaining how this happened and also advocates for how to bring about change for the future generations of children to come. He says that the only solution is to protect our kids from a smartphone/technology based life. While I found this book educational, I also found it very myopic, failing to praise the benefits of technology. Where would my daughter Lily, who is disabled, be without her iPad? She would not be able to stay home alone, and thus not be able to experience true independence. She would not be able to stay in touch with friends nor relatives in other states. And she would not be able to be supported by a community of people who believe in her strength and faith. The iPad for her has been life changing. So "The Anxious Generation" is a book to read, and also a book to discuss and debate as well. To buy this book on Amazon click here.