(Just this once, I’m going to relent and use this entry’s word count to spotlight a few of the hundreds of astonishing ideas that Jonathan Haidt offered in The Anxious Generation. And if you look closely enough, you’ll see some light, some hope!)
“These two trends—overprotection in the real world and underprotection in the virtual world—are the major reasons why children born after 1995 became the anxious generation.” (9)
“Change is possible, if we act together.” (10)
“The Anxious Generation is a book about how to reclaim human life for human beings in all generations.” (17)
“Virtual battles in a video game confer little or no physical benefit.” (81)
“The term safetyism refers to a cultural or belief system in which safety has become a sacred value.” (89)
“Can a phone-based childhood exacerbate existing ADHD symptoms? It appears so.” (118-9)
“Social media is not like sugar. It doesn’t just affect the person who consumes it.” (148)
“This is the great irony of social media: the more you immerse yourself in it, the more lonely and depressed you become.” (170)
“The phone-based life produces spiritual degradation, not just in adolescents, but in all of us.” (199)
“Attachment theory tells us that children need a secure base—a reliable and loving adult who will be there for them when needed.” (269)
Social media behavior is called “problematic” when it interferes with daily routines and commitments; when children experience strong cravings (for social media use); when they lie about time spent online; when social media use prevents adequate sleep or regular physical exercise or when children keep using social media even when they want to stop. (279-80)
Some solutions: No smartphones before high school; no social media before age 16; phone-free schools and much more unsupervised play and childhood independence. (290)
“It is important (for adults) to model healthy technology use.” (337)
This society-wide phenomenon calls us to consider the effects of screen-based life on our children and on ourselves. An urgent hope: We can be the solution(s) we most hope for…
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