Psychologist Peter Gray's Restoring Childhood disputes The Anxious Generation's central claim that smartphones and social media caused the post-2010 teen mental health crisis. Gray instead traces the decline to decades of shrinking childhood autonomy and rigid, test-focused schooling tied to Common Core, arguing home internet access in the 1990s and 2000s actually improved teen wellbeing by restoring lost freedom and social connection.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-15
A commentary piece, drawing on Jonathan Haidt's book The Anxious Generation, weighs evidence on both sides of the question of whether today's kids are better or worse off than previous generations. It notes gains such as more parental time, less substance abuse, fewer car deaths, and greater tolerance for minorities, alongside concerns like heavy phone use, isolation, less sleep and reading, and rising anxiety, depression and suicide rates among teens, especially girls. The author frames this as an open question worth academic examination rather than settling on one conclusion.
smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net
· 2026-08-31
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