The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt is the second book I have read by the renowned NYU ethics professor. My first was The Righteous Mind, in which Haidt explores the origins of moral reasoning. I found his insights both profound and convincing, which is why I was eager to read this book.
And I was not disappointed. Haidt’s writing is engaging and thought-provoking, drawing me in from the very first pages. In The Anxious Generation, he argues that smartphone addiction is a real and deeply harmful phenomenon, particularly among young people. He compares its widespread impact to the dangers of leaded gasoline in the mid-to-late 20th century, an environmental toxin linked to brain damage, lower IQ, and psychiatric disorders.
Haidt highlights how excessive smartphone use, especially among those under 20, disrupts psychological development. The earlier a child begins using a smartphone, the greater the risk. At the core of the problem is a fundamental shift in how young people learn to interact with the world. Haidt distinguishes between embodied and disembodied social interactions. For most of human history, people engaged in embodied interactions through face-to-face communication in small groups, where body language, tone, and social cues played a crucial role. In contrast, disembodied interactions, such as those mediated through social media apps, lack these essential human elements. Online, people become faceless and ageless, stripped of the nuances that shape real-world communication.
Another key distinction Haidt makes is between synchronous and asynchronous communication. In real-life conversations, communication is synchronous, meaning one person speaks, another listens, and they respond in real time. By contrast, text-based communication is asynchronous and often misses the immediacy and emotional depth required for meaningful expression.
Throughout human evolution, social interactions have shaped our minds, developing gradually from early childhood through play. Traditionally, children learned to build, repair, and maintain relationships through face-to-face engagement. However, play-based childhood has largely been replaced by screen-based childhood. Instead of practicing social skills, many adolescents now spend hours scrolling on smartphones. As a result, their cognitive and emotional development is stunted, leaving them immature and unprepared for adulthood.
Haidt argues that Generation Z, those born after 1996, have been neurologically shaped by this digital environment. While they may be quick to adapt to new technologies, this comes at a cost. Many struggle with emotional resilience, deep social connections, and the ability to repair or maintain relationships. They are also more prone to depression and anxiety. Because their interactions with peers occur largely online, they miss out on crucial real-world experiences that help develop psychological resilience. As a result, they are particularly vulnerable to social aggression and bullying, lacking the coping mechanisms that previous generations developed through face-to-face interactions.
Data shows that mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal tendencies have increased significantly since 2012, coinciding with the widespread adoption of smartphones and social media among preteens and teenagers. Although this evidence comes from surveys, the same trend is confirmed by hospital records of emergency admissions for suicide attempts in this age group. A careful comparison with Generation X and Millennials reveals that Generation Z is particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of excessive social media use.
Haidt’s analysis is both compelling and alarming, shedding light on the unintended consequences of our increasingly digital world.