The Anxious Generation

“I really don’t want my parents to put restrictions on my phone or limit my screen time… but sometimes, I wish they would.”

I’ve been surprised how many times I’ve heard these words—or at least the sentiment—from both teens and pre-teens. They may not say it directly (especially to their parents), but beneath the endless scrolling, constant notifications, and illusion of connection, a quiet truth is surfacing: despite being more “connected” than ever, many young people have never felt more alone.

Most kids will settle for what’s easy while longing for something better. They crave real connection—the kind that comes from face-to-face interactions, laughter, conversation, and shared experience. The kind of connection we were made to enjoy in the garden when things were simple.

Most kids will settle for what’s easy while longing for something better. They crave real connection—the kind that comes from face-to-face interactions, laughter, conversation, and shared experience. The kind of connection we were made to enjoy in the garden when things were simple.

The promise of connection has been made by big tech, with trillions of dollars spent to deliver on that promise —but the connection turned out to be more to plastic, metal, and glass, and not so much to people.

From navigation systems, to reminders, calendars, and alarms, most of us have trained our brains to depend on outside forces to tell us what to do next or where to go.

Maybe that’s what our kids are waiting for, too.

Remember when your old Garmin would announce, “Recalculating,” after a wrong turn? Maybe your kids are waiting for you to do the same—help them recalculate the best route back to where they’re meant to be.

In The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt shares global data and years of research showing how smartphones and social media have reshaped childhood and rewired how young people think, learn, and connect. The book isn’t written from a faith-based perspective—and Haidt occasionally references “evolution” when explaining how the brain adapts—but it offers eye-opening insights into what’s happening beneath the surface. It also gives practical ways in which parents can help their kids rediscover the beauty of life beyond the screen.