Stephen and Megan dive into the ideas behind Jonathan Haidt’s bestselling book, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. Together, they unpack how the rise of smartphones and the decline of play-based childhood have shaped an entire generation.
In this conversation, Stephen explains Haidt’s core argument that childhood was “rewired” around 2012 — trading outdoor play, social learning, and healthy risk for screen-based connection, comparison, and constant distraction. They explore how this great rewiring has uniquely impacted both boys and girls, why young adults today are more anxious and lonely than ever, and how we can begin reclaiming what was lost.
You’ll walk away with practical ways to manage your attention, pursue real-world relationships, and rediscover presence in a digital world that never stops scrolling.
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4 Key Takeaways:
Own Your Attention. Recognize when your phone is managing you instead of the other way around. Create intentional phone-free times each day and reclaim your ability to focus deeply.
Crave What’s Real. Invest in embodied, face-to-face community — shared meals, conversations, and experiences that outlast the scroll.
Curate Your Digital Life. Audit your apps and notifications. Keep what connects you, remove what consumes you, and let technology serve your goals — not shape them.
Relearn Play and Presence. Step outside, try new hobbies, allow boredom, and take healthy risks. These real-world moments build the resilience and creativity we’ve lost in a screen-based world.
Ask Yourself: What’s one simple way you can limit distraction this week — and one real-world connection you can intentionally pursue?
📖 Buy the Book: The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt on Amazon
🌐 Learn More: theanxiousgeneration.com
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Podcast Music: Electric Ten by Broke in Summer
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