The Anxious Generation

In "The Anxious Generation", social psychologist Jonathan Haidt lays out the causes of the epidemic of mental illness that has struck teenagers. According to him, "Gen Z" (those born after 1995) is the first in history to go through puberty with a portal to virtual reality in their pocket, replacing a play-based childhood with a phone-based one.

Haidt argues that this "rewiring" of the brain has had devastating consequences: sleep deprivation, fragmented attention and a dramatic rise in loneliness.

But this book is not only a grim diagnosis; it is a rescue manual. The author proposes four simple rules for parents, schools and governments to restore a more humane childhood.