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The Anxious Generation
- Author
- Jonathan Haidt
- Narrator
- Sean Pratt
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Publish Date
- 26 March 2024
- Run Time
- 10 hours 32 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Social, group or collective psychology, Child, developmental and lifespan psychology, Impact of science and technology on society, Popular psychology, Teenagers: advice for parents
- Rating
- 3.5 (2 reviews)
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What to expect
THE NO.1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
A TIMES, FT, ECONOMIST AND INDEPENDENT BOOK OF THE YEAR
Acclaimed psychologist Jonathan Haidt reveals how the decline of free-play in childhood and the rise of smartphone use among adolescents is changing our world
From 2010, as teens traded in their flip phones for smartphones packed with social media apps, unsupervised time online soared while face-to-face conversations with friends and family plummeted, and so did mental health. This profound shift took place against a backdrop of diminishing childhood freedom and over-supervision in the real world, depriving children of the experiences they most need to become strong and self-governing adults.
The Anxious Generation delves into the latest research to show how this shift from free-play to smartphones disrupts development – from sleep deprivation to addiction – and lays the foundations of isolation and fear that define society today. Grounded in ancient wisdom and packed full of cutting-edge science and practical advice, this eye-opening book is a life-raft for anyone who wants to understand how the most rapid rewiring of human relationships and consciousness in human history has made it harder for all of us to think, focus, forget ourselves enough to care about others and build close relationships.
‘Boundlessly wise . . . important and engrossing’ The New York Times
‘One of the most important books I’ve read . . . It’s absolutely brilliant’ Dr Rangan Chatterjee
'Urgent and essential' Guardian
©2024 Jonathan Haidt (P)2024 Penguin Audio
Critics Review
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A very important book
Financial Times
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Compelling, readable – and incredibly chilling . . . a terrifying assessment of the digital carnage . . . remarkably persuasive . . . a clarion-call to parents everywhere
Telegraph
-
Deals seriously with counter-arguments and gaps in the evidence . . . all the suggestions sound sensible. Some even sound fun
Economist
-
A game-changer for society . . . The statistics that Haidt offers are jaw-dropping . . . although this book is about young people, it will resonate with many of us . . . I can’t recommend this book highly enough; everyone should read it
Irish Independent
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A book of devastating observations . . . his data is startling . . . robust scientific evidence for what we've all come to assume is true . . . it's the sheer scale of harm depicted here that should galvanise us
Spectator
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Forget horror; this is one of the most terrifying books I have read . . . some of the statistics Haidt quotes are truly shocking . . . a persuasive and rousing argument
Evening Standard
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If this important book rings enough alarms to make politicians impose a genuine social media ban on children, I believe most parents would be happy and most teenagers happier
The Times, Book of the Week
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Urgent and essential . . . it ought to become a foundational text for the growing movement to keep smartphones out of schools, and young children off social media
Guardian
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Lucid, memorable, galvanizing
Wall Street Journal
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Erudite, engaging, crusading
New York Times Book Review
User Reviews
Book 3.5
Narration 4.0
-
2.0 3.0
I read the paperback along with the audiobook. There were a number of differences between the two versions of the book and I felt this was targeted at the American reader more than the British reader. There were only a few facts that got repeated constantly and I would have liked to have more scientific explanations on what is happening to the Gen Z in terms of social media and technology.
chlobobass 2026-05-29
Details
- Author
- Jonathan Haidt
- Narrator
- Sean Pratt
- Duration
- 10 hours 32 minutes
- Release Date
- 26 March 2024
- ISBN
- 9781802066180
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Genre
- Social, group or collective psychology, Child, developmental and lifespan psychology, Impact of science and technology on society, Popular psychology, Teenagers: advice for parents
- Rating
- 3.5(2 reviews)
- Narration
- 4.0(2 reviews)
Synopsis
THE NO.1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERA TIMES, FT, ECONOMIST AND INDEPENDENT BOOK OF THE YEARAcclaimed psychologist Jonathan Haidt reveals how the decline of free-play in childhood and the rise of smartphone use among adolescents is changing our worldFrom 2010, as teens traded in their flip phones for smartphones packed with social media apps, unsupervised time online soared while face-to-face conversations with friends and family plummeted, and so did mental health. This profound shift took place against a backdrop of diminishing childhood freedom and over-supervision in the real world, depriving children of the experiences they most need to become strong and self-governing adults.The Anxious Generation delves into the latest research to show how this shift from free-play to smartphones disrupts development – from sleep deprivation to addiction – and lays the foundations of isolation and fear that define society today. Grounded in ancient wisdom and packed full of cutting-edge science and practical advice, this eye-opening book is a life-raft for anyone who wants to understand how the most rapid rewiring of human relationships and consciousness in human history has made it harder for all of us to think, focus, forget ourselves enough to care about others and build close relationships.‘Boundlessly wise . . . important and engrossing’ The New York Times‘One of the most important books I’ve read . . . It’s absolutely brilliant’ Dr Rangan Chatterjee'Urgent and essential' Guardian©2024 Jonathan Haidt (P)2024 Penguin Audio
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