Why teens are growing up more anxious and depressed

Last year, the US Surgeon General recommended that Congress place warnings on social media for children and teens (similar to the warnings on alcohol for pregnant women). I wrote about his op-ed last year. 

In that article, I wrote, “high social media use by teens strongly predicts higher rates of anxiety, depression, and sadness, as well as (ironically) lower sociality.” I hadn’t read Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation, which came out that year—but I wish I had. 

The problem runs deeper than I imagined, with stronger evidence of the connection than I thought existed. 

Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist, whom The Denison Forum often references. Although a self-described atheist, his research into religion’s positive social and psychological effects has made him an ally in the modern era of hostility against Christians. 

What is “The Anxious Generation?” 

In, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, Haidt argues convincingly that two primary factors have led to a worrying spike in mental illness: Social media (along with smartphone tech) and overprotective parenting (in the real-world). These factors create a perfect storm of fragility in Gen Z, causing a rise in internal psychological disorders (namely, depression and anxiety).

iGen, by Jean Twenge, discussed similar harms as far back as 2017, but there was much less research at the time of her book. Most studies pointed to correlation (smartphone/social media use rose at the same time mental illness did). Since then, more research points to causation, that high social media use in teens directly leads to mental health issues. 

That’s a massive problem, but it’s not the whole story. 

The four parts of The Anxious Generation

The book is divided into four parts. First, Haidt writes about the “surge of suffering,” outlining the massive effects of mental illness, the rapidly rising rates of depression, anxiety, suicide, and self-harm among children and teens. 

• From 2010 to 2020, girls have seen a 188 percent increase in hospital visits for self-harm, and boys’ visits have increased by 48 percent. 
• Anxiety prevalence has increased 139 percent in people ages 18-25 between 2010 and 2020.
• Depression among teens has increased by around 150 percent between 2010 and 2020. 

What is going on? There are two leading causes for this surge of suffering: overprotective parenting and screen time. He tackles these in the following sections.  

In part two, Haidt discusses the decline in play-based childhood, due to what he calls “safetyism.” He develops his argument from the ‘90s, arguing that parents have become over-protective and taken away independence and space for adventuring. This prevents children from taking on responsibilities and growing in confidence, thereby stunting their growth. 

At appropriate ages, children should walk or bike to school, cross the street, and, most importantly, have lots of unstructured playtime, where they can explore, adventure, socialize with other kids, and, yes, even get hurt every so often. This section is a gold mine for parents.

Third, he unpacks “the great rewiring,” showing how social media and “phone-based childhoods” harm kids in four primary ways. 

1. Social deprivation 
2. Sleep deprivation
3. Attention fragmentation
4. Addiction 

These harms are deftly and rigorously explained, with research packed into every paragraph. 

Finally, in part four, he teamed up with Lenore Skenazy, author of Free Range Kids, to write the final chapters. In it, he gives recommendations to governments, tech companies, schools, and parents emphasizing the urgency of the research and the mental health crisis.

Worries for Christians?

As mentioned, Haidt is an atheist (although he believes in the benefits and importance of religious faith). Throughout, he discusses the influence of evolution in connection with psychology. Christians have different views on reconciling evolution and Scripture, but if those connections bother you, it may help to know that his research doesn’t depend on the validity of evolution. When he writes that “evolution made kids like ____,”  you can always insert “God designed kids to___,” and his work, in my view, maintains its force. 

As I’m not a parent, I can’t relate to how difficult it is to establish these boundaries. Only let your kids have two hours of leisure screen time a day—easy for me to say! Of course, Haidt is a parent, and demonstrates graciousness for parents throughout the work. 

Remember, it’s never too late. Jesus’ grace covers you parents who have a hard time battling anxiety about giving your kid freedom to roam, or who give your child an iPad too many times. His grace is sufficient. “Perfection is the enemy of progress” applies here if anywhere. 

The most important applications from The Anxious Generation

As you can probably tell, I can’t recommend this book enough. First, buy the book. Then, while it’s being shipped, you can listen to Dr. Mark Turman and Steph Thurling’s conversation about it. 

The skyrocketing rates of mental illness among children didn’t materialize out of thin air. We spend nearly every hour of every day in front of screens. Teens, on average, spend over seven hours a day on screens, four hours a day on social media. 

We didn’t have the internet two generations ago—doesn’t it make sense that such upheaval would change society, culture, and children’s upbringing?

Read this work, parents, teachers, ministers. . . . Just, everybody read it. I’ll leave you with his four most important action points. 

1. “No smartphones before high school.” 
2. “No social media before 16.” 
3. “Phone-free schools.” (From start to end of the day, not just during class time.)
4. “Far more unsupervised play and childhood independence.” 

For more resources, check out resources from Christian Parenting, our dedicated page to resources about Gen Z, and Haidt’s organization Free The Anxious Generation. 

Notable quotes 

‘People—and particularly adolescents—are often more concerned about the threat of “social death” than physical death.’ (pg. 29)

“People are more likely to become depressed when they become (or feel) more socially disconnected, and depression then makes people less interested and able to seek out social connection.” (pg. 29) 

“Alison Gopnik says that a better way to think about child-rearing is as a gardener. Your job is to ‘create a protected and nurturing space for plants to flourish.’ It takes some work, but you don’t have to be a perfectionist.” (pg. 268)

“[Tristan] Harris [has] noted that the products made by just three companies—Google, Apple, and Facebook—were shaping how most of humanity spent its limited attention, and they were draining it away carelessly or deliberately.” (pg. 229)

“… both sexes have been experiencing more internalizing disorders and fewer externalizing disorders since the early 2010s.” (pg. 25)

“Despite the enormous variation in human cultures and gender roles, there is a common structure to puberty rites because they are all trying to do the same thing: Transform girls into a woman or boys into a man who has the knowledge, skills, virtues, and social standing to be an effective member of the community, soon to be ready for marriage and parenthood.” (pg. 100)

“…religious injunctions to be slower to judge and quicker to forgive are good for maintaining relationships and improving mental health. Social media trains people to do the opposite: Judge quickly and publicly, lest ye be judged for not judging whoever it is that we are all condemning today. Don’t forgive, or your team will attack you as a traitor.” (pg. 211)