$16.98 sale price when purchased online
$30.00 list price
Target Online store #3991
About this item
Highlights
- THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice From New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Coddling of the American Mind, an essential investigation into the collapse of youth mental health--and a plan for a healthier, freer childhood.
- About the Author: Jonathan Haidt is the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University's Stern School of Business.
- 400 Pages
- Psychology, Mental Health
Description
About the Book
From New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Coddling of the American Mind, an essential investigation into the collapse of youth mental health and a plan for a healthier, freer childhood.Book Synopsis
THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice From New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Coddling of the American Mind, an essential investigation into the collapse of youth mental health--and a plan for a healthier, freer childhood. "Erudite, engaging, combative, crusading." --New York Times Book Review "Words that chill the parental heart... thanks to Mr. Haidt, we can glimpse the true horror of what happened not only in the U.S. but also elsewhere in the English-speaking world... lucid, memorable... galvanizing." --Wall Street Journal "[An] important new book...The shift in kids' energy and attention from the physical world to the virtual one, Haidt shows, has been catastrophic, especially for girls." --Michelle Goldberg, The New York Times After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s. Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rose sharply, more than doubling on many measures. Why? In The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that hit many countries at the same time. He then investigates the nature of childhood, including why children need play and independent exploration to mature into competent, thriving adults. Haidt shows how the "play-based childhood" began to decline in the 1980s, and how it was finally wiped out by the arrival of the "phone-based childhood" in the early 2010s. He presents more than a dozen mechanisms by which this "great rewiring of childhood" has interfered with children's social and neurological development, covering everything from sleep deprivation to attention fragmentation, addiction, loneliness, social contagion, social comparison, and perfectionism. He explains why social media damages girls more than boys and why boys have been withdrawing from the real world into the virtual world, with disastrous consequences for themselves, their families, and their societies. Most important, Haidt issues a clear call to action. He diagnoses the "collective action problems" that trap us, and then proposes four simple rules that might set us free. He describes steps that parents, teachers, schools, tech companies, and governments can take to end the epidemic of mental illness and restore a more humane childhood. Haidt has spent his career speaking truth backed by data in the most difficult landscapes--communities polarized by politics and religion, campuses battling culture wars, and now the public health emergency faced by Gen Z. We cannot afford to ignore his findings about protecting our children--and ourselves--from the psychological damage of a phone-based life.Review Quotes
"Erudite, engaging, combative, crusading." --Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, New York Times Book Review "Words that chill the parental heart... thanks to Mr. Haidt, we can glimpse the true horror of what happened not only in the U.S. but also elsewhere in the English-speaking world... lucid, memorable... galvanizing." --Meghan Cox Gurdon, Wall Street Journal "I found myself nodding along in agreement ... benefits from... years of research on how smartphones and social media dice the nerves and tamp the spirits of young people ... not just reasonable but irrefutably necessary." --Jessica Winter, New Yorker "Boundlessly wise... important and engrossing." --Frank Bruni, New York Times Opinion "All the suggestions sound sensible. Some even sound fun . . . Deals seriously with counter-arguments and gaps in the evidence." --The Economist "Can be quite wonderful... beautifully grounds his critique in Buddhist, Taoist and Christian thought traditions... His common-sense recommendations for actions...are excellent." --Judith Warner, The Washington Post "[An] important new book...The shift in kids' energy and attention from the physical world to the virtual one, Haidt shows, has been catastrophic, especially for girls." --Michelle Goldberg, The New York Times "Informative and compelling...Haidt wants children to spend more time appreciating nature, playing with friends, riding and falling off their bikes, and doing age-appropriate chores."--Glenn C. Altschuler, Psychology Today
"An urgent and essential read, and it ought to become a foundational text for the growing movement to keep smartphones out of schools, and young children off social media" --Sophie McBain, The Guardian (UK) "Compelling, readable--and incredibly chilling . . . remarkably persuasive." --Lucy Denyer, Telegraph (UK) "A persuasive and rousing argument"--Anna Davis, Evening Standard (UK) "If this important book rings enough alarms (wait, or is that just my phone pinging?) to make politicians impose a genuine social media ban on children, I believe most parents would be happy and most teenagers happier." --Helen Rumbelow, The Times (UK, Book of the Week) "Haidt sets out inarguable evidence that smartphones are fuelling an anxiety epidemic among young people--and big tech must do more to reverse it...an extremely important and compelling read that is recommended not only to parents but to anyone who has felt increasingly pressurised by technology...I can't recommend this book highly enough; everyone should read it. It is a game-changer for society." --Stella O'Malley, Irish Independent "Jonathan Haidt is a modern-day prophet, disguised as a psychologist. In this book, he's back to warn us of the dangers of a phone-based childhood. He points the way forward to a brighter, stronger future for us all." --Susan Cain, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Bittersweet and Quiet
"An urgent and provocative read on why so many kids are not okay--and how to course correct. Jonathan Haidt makes a powerful case that the shift from play-based to phone-based childhoods is wreaking havoc on mental health and social development. Even if you're not ready to ban smartphones until high school, this book will challenge you to rethink how we nurture the potential in our kids and prepare them for the world." --Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Potential and Think Again, and host of the TED podcast Re: Thinking
"This is a crucial read for parents of children of elementary school age and beyond, who face the rapidly changing landscape of childhood. Haidt lays out problems but also solutions for making a better digital life with kids." --Emily Oster, New York Times bestselling author of Expecting Better
"Every single parent needs to stop what they are doing and read this book immediately. Jonathan Haidt is the most important psychologist in the world today, and this is the most important book on the topic that's reshaping your child's life right now." --Johann Hari, author of Stolen Focus
"This book poses a challenge that will determine the shape of the rest of the century. Jonathan Haidt shows us how we've arrived at this point of crisis with technology and the next generation. This book does not merely stand athwart the iPhone yelling 'Stop!' Haidt provides research-tested yet practical counsel for parents, communities, houses of worship, and governments about how things could be different. I plan to give this book to as many people as I can, while praying that we all have the wisdom to ponder and then to act." --Russell Moore, editor in chief of Christianity Today
About the Author
Jonathan Haidt is the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University's Stern School of Business. He obtained his PhD in social psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992 and taught at the University of Virginia for sixteen years. His research focuses on moral and political psychology, as described in his book The Righteous Mind. His latest book, The Anxious Generation, is a direct continuation of the themes explored in The Coddling of the American Mind (written with Greg Lukianoff). He writes the After Babel Substack.Dimensions (Overall): 9.47 Inches (H) x 6.47 Inches (W) x 1.3 Inches (D)
Weight: 1.38
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Sub-Genre: Mental Health
Genre: Psychology
Number of Pages: 400
Publisher: Penguin Press
Format: Hardcover
Author: Jonathan Haidt
Language: English
Street Date: March 26, 2024
TCIN: 89294798
UPC: 9780593655030
Item Number (DPCI): 059-01-8353
Origin: Made in the USA
If the item details above aren’t accurate or complete, we want to know about it.
Shipping details
Estimated ship dimensions: 1.3 inches length x 6.47 inches width x 9.47 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 1.38 pounds
We regret that this item cannot be shipped to PO Boxes.
This item cannot be shipped to the following locations: American Samoa (see also separate entry under AS), Guam (see also separate entry under GU), Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico (see also separate entry under PR), United States Minor Outlying Islands, Virgin Islands, U.S., APO/FPO
Return details
This item can be returned to any Target store or Target.com.
This item must be returned within 30 days of the date it was purchased in store, shipped, delivered by a Shipt shopper, or made ready for pickup.
See the return policy for complete information.
Guests also viewed
Related Categories
5.0 out of 5 stars with 18 reviews
100% would recommend
5 recommendations
The Anxious generation
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Michell - 2 days ago, Verified purchaser
I love this book it's so clear and easy for parents to understand how screens are damaging our kids
Great book!
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Mamabear - 3 months ago, Verified purchaser
Great content for all parents
Must Read ASAP
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Baijiemei - 4 months ago
I appreciated the way the author explained the issues AND gave clear direction on what we can do right now to change the consequences of a phone based life. I’m seriously considering buying multiple copies to give to school administrators and friends. I feel empowered to change my children’s lives for the better after reading this book.
Must-read for every modern parent
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
LoMar - 5 months ago, Verified purchaser
Should be a must-read for every parent today. Love that it has realistic, actionable steps to mitigate the effects of modern technology (and especially social media) on our kids’ brains. Though the content is serious, Haidt’s writing is approachable, and I finished this book much faster than I expected to (about 7 hours total over 2 days and could’ve been less but I wanted to read a couple parts twice).
You must be able to accept the truth
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Izzie - 7 months ago, Verified purchaser
We have seen that over the years, as technology tends to take over family, friends, and our education, we have also seen an uptick in our mental health concerns nationwide. Does it correlate? We now see the same increase in our children's interactions, and I think educators and every parent should read this to see the real issue. Great read!