matthewmincher reviewed Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
Lays out the issue well, disappointing past that
3 stars
This book started off really strongly, discussing something that is up there with climate change for me as a crisis everyone seems aware of but doesn't really ever move in a positive direction.
I resonate with a lot of what Haidt says even though I feel like I only caught the early beginnings of this with myspace and mmos. I can't imagine what it would be like to grow up now with social media a huge fixture of my life.
The second half of the book was very disappointing, it felt like he repeats the same two or three collective action points which left me feeling a bit hopeless. I do wonder whether it is too late and we need to lean into changing social media into a positive force and supporting kids using it.
The idea of risky play and overly defensive parenting also strikes a chord, but as I'm not a parent I'll reserve my opinion on how best to parent. I certainly remember the scrapes and close calls fondly.