Gen Z, Smartphones & Anxiety — A Review of “The Anxious Generation”

Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation explains how the 2010–2015 “great rewiring” shifted childhood from play-based to phone-based—tracking rises in Gen Z anxiety, depression, sleep loss, and social fragmentation. This review breaks down the four core harms (sleep, social, attention, addiction), the “hook model” behind behavioral addiction, and practical fixes for schools, parents, and policymakers.
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What You’ll Learn
What the “great rewiring” (2010–2015) is and why it matters
The four harms of a phone-first childhood
How the hook model works—and how to interrupt 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
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
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Sources
Haidt, J. (2024). The Anxious Generation • Overview: https://jonathanhaidt.com/anxious-generation/ • CDC Data Brief: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db471.htm#section_1 • Pew (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 • Open-access review: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10355843/