A research-driven review of Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation: how the 2010–2015 “great rewiring” shifted childhood from play-based to phone-based—and what schools, parents, and policymakers can do. We cover the four harms, the hook model, and practical fixes.
Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation argues that the 2010–2015 “great rewiring” moved childhood from play-based to phone-based, correlating with rising anxiety, depression, sleep loss, and social fragmentation in Gen Z. In this audio review, we unpack the four core harms (sleep, social, attention, addiction), the “hook model” behind behavioral addiction, and realistic solutions for classrooms, parents, and policy.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
• What the “great rewiring” (2010–2015) is and why it matters
• The four harms of a phone-first childhood (sleep, social, attention, addiction)
• How the hook model keeps us checking—and how to disrupt it
• Why in-person rituals and turn-taking build social competence
• Six restorative practices: sacredness, embodiment, stillness, transcendence, forgiveness, awe
• Evidence-based school fixes (phone lockers beat “put it away”)
• Policy tools: age-appropriate design codes, age-16 digital adulthood, robust age checks
• The overlooked link between comparison culture, rejection, and incel communities
CHAPTERS (timestamps)
00:00 Introduction
00:58 The “Great Rewiring” (2010–2015) + Mental-Health Trends
01:42 From Play-Based to Phone-Based Childhood
02:36 The 4 Harms: Sleep, Social, Attention, Addiction
02:55 Sleep Deprivation
03:19 Social Deprivation: Rituals, Handshakes, Respect
04:15 Digital vs IRL
06:03 Attention Fragmentation
07:09 Addiction
07:32 The Hook Model
08:12 Spiritual Elevation vs Degradation
09:10 Six Restorative Practices
12:14 Solutions
14:09 Missing Piece: Incels, Comparison, and Rejection
15:55 Final Takeaways
LINKS
• Purchase the book: https://amzn.to/45qdhKb
(Affiliate disclosure: we may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.)
• Newsletter: https://tospeakonline.com/newsletters/
• More at https://ToSpeakOnline.com — become a member to support.
SOURCES
• Haidt, J. (2024). The Anxious Generation (book)
• Overview: https://jonathanhaidt.com/anxious-generation/
• CDC Data Brief: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db471.htm#section_1
• Pew Research (teens & tech): https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/
• NIDA repository: https://nida.nih.gov/research/nida-research-programs-activities/nahdap-data-repository-for-drug-addiction-and-HIV-research
• Literature review (open access): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10355843/
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