Since The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness hit shelves in March 2024, the world has wrestled with Jonathan Haidt’s claim that rising youth anxiety and depression stem less from technology itself and more from what he calls “the great rewiring of childhood.”
While smartphones, social media, and algorithms take center stage in the conversation, one piece often gets overlooked: the loss of play. We spoke with Ginny Smith Younce, Haidt’s editor at Penguin Press, and Brian Connell, CEO of The Connell School of Writing and founder of the YAWP! Writing Program™, to explore how this plays out in real life.
The Fundamental Transformation in Childhood
“My central claim in this book is that 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,” Jonathan Haidt writes.
He argues that childhood has undergone a fundamental transformation, and the consequence is a generation less able to build resilience through ordinary challenges and risk. Play — in neighborhoods, parks, and yards — once served as the crucible for social skills, independence, and emotional stability.
“As a high school English teacher and administrator from 1999-2018, I had a front-row seat to the rise and ubiquity of technology in classrooms and schools,” says Brian Connell.
“As students began bringing the first cell phones into classrooms, the physical space — and our collective understanding and control of it — was altered. Suddenly, there were devices connected to the outside world that had nothing to do with what was happening in the classroom. This caused students to be less present, as their attention was increasingly drawn to their phones, which might be in their pockets or bags.”
The Impact Since Publication
Since publication, there have been tangible shifts in public policy and discourse. Several states in the US have introduced age-gating on social media platforms, and the Kids Online Safety Act has gained bipartisan support. The UK and Australia have similarly begun to tackle children’s online safety, focusing not just on banning devices but also on encouraging more outdoor and communal play.
“I have had the privilege of working with Jonathan Haidt as his book editor since 2016,” says Ginny Smith Younce, VP, Executive Editor at Penguin Press/Penguin Random House. “It has been extraordinary to watch the global revolution Jon launched with The Anxious Generation. He transformed the conversation around young people, attention, mental health, independence, and technology. Jon has shown that collectively, we have over-parented in the real world and under-parented online to devastating effect.”
One reviewer notes that much of the data Jonathan Haidt cites reflects better diagnosis and awareness of mental health issues, rather than an actual surge in cases. The impact of social media on teen wellbeing remains statistically small compared to factors like family relationships and academic stress. A recent study shows there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Social media’s impact on teens depends on the individual and the circumstances around them.
“Haidt’s suggestion that kids not get smartphones before high school or get on social media before age 16 would likely support a healthier transition from childhood to adolescence,” explains Brian. “And who is better equipped to facilitate this positive growth and transition than schools themselves? You know, the experts on kids and learning.”
Are We Missing the Wood for the Trees?
Recent research supports play’s vital role. Unstructured physical play, even in its most basic forms, is crucial for early development, problem-solving, creativity, and social competence. Studies show that children who have more opportunities for real-world, unstructured play demonstrate better communication and socialization skills than those whose experiences are dominated by digital interaction.
For example, a cohort study found that frequent outdoor play can alleviate some adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes associated with excess screen time.
It’s a complicated picture. Yes, awareness is growing and policies are piling up, but research keeps pointing to the bigger drivers of mental health: relationships, stress, and systemic issues — not just technology. And despite all the talk, not much has shifted since the book came out. Screens are still dominating our days, loneliness and isolation haven’t really budged, and good old-fashioned unstructured play is still hard to come by.
As kids spend more and more time glued to digital devices, they miss out on the kind of spontaneous, imaginative, and active play that’s so important for healthy brain and social development. Play helps kids think, connect, and bounce back from challenges — but when tech takes over, those chances shrink, leaving less room for creativity and weaker social connections.
Are Jonathan Haidt’s Solutions Practical?
“I can say this with 100% certainty: In schools where students do not have cell phones (either because the teacher collects them at the start of class, the students are required to place them in a Yondr pouch, or there’s just bad cell reception), the students are more present, engaged, and open to doing the work,” shares Brian.
“As a result, they learn and produce more. I was thrilled when I heard that the Alabama legislature had passed the cell phone in schools bill last spring, and from all reports from teachers, it seems to be making an immediate difference in schools.
Jonathan Haidt’s most ambitious recommendations — delaying phones until high school, banning unsupervised social media for children under 16, and rebuilding community infrastructure for free-range play — seem daunting and even unrealistic for many families and communities. But smaller steps are within reach:
- Model balanced tech use: As the author suggests, “What you do often matters far more than what you say, so watch your own phone habits. Be a good role model.”
- Prioritize face-to-face connection: Arrange playdates, outdoor activities, and neighborhood gatherings. Let children solve problems together, even if they’re messy.
- Support unstructured play: Allow boredom, encourage creative games, and trust children with autonomy in safe environments.
- Co-create technology rules: Instead of blanket bans, partner with children and teens to build mutually agreed boundaries for screen time.
- Cultivate relationships: Research consistently finds that family and friendship ties are far more protective of mental health than technology restrictions.
The Push for “Play”
“One of the best pieces of advice I got in my first year of teaching was to make it real for students,” Brian shares. “Whatever the lesson or concept, bring it to life for the students in some way. Is there a line in the poem about how the water looks on a brick wall? Take them outside and have them throw water on a wall and let them write about it too.”
As the world wrestles with how best to respond to the Anxious Generation, one lesson stands out: the path forward is not in demonizing devices but reclaiming play. Risk, creativity, and unstructured exploration remain the hallmarks of a healthy childhood and a healthy transition into adulthood. For all ages, genuine connection — the kind forged through laughter, challenge, and shared time in the physical world — is the antidote to our mounting anxiety.
“I have been so encouraged to see my cohort of parents work to restore free play and independence in our children’s lives,” says Ginny. “I see the fruit of this work on my own Nashville street and in our school! Kids are just out more; the whole paradigm has shifted.”
“I’m a big proponent of creativity in the classroom,” Brian says. “For elementary or middle school students, we might ‘game-ify’ a lesson, but by the high school years, it includes writing sound arguments, creating solutions to real-world problems, making art for exhibits, building sets for plays, and using scientific processes to experiment and test theories.”
“If the creative activity in school is done right, students will lose themselves in it,” he adds. “At times, they might forget they’re learning or that there’s a grade involved. However, when they’re done, they’ll remember the experience long after they’ve forgotten a boring lecture or worksheet.”
Jonathan Haidt’s work has reminded us that “as young people move their social relationships online, those relationships become disembodied, asynchronous, and sometimes disposable”. The antidote is radical but straightforward: more play, presence, and genuine connection — online and off.
The anxious generation deserves nothing less.
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