September Book of the Month: The Anxious Generation

The Anxious Generation – Jonathan Haidt

There are some books that don’t just inform you, they make you stop, look around, and notice the water we’re all swimming in. The Anxious Generation is one of those books. Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist, examines the sharp rise in anxiety, depression, and loneliness among young people over the past decade. His research points to one major factor: the way technology—especially smartphones and social media—have rewired childhood, adolescence, and even adulthood.

Haidt doesn’t write as a pastor, but as a careful researcher and cultural observer. Still, the implications for Christians are profound. If we’re called to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves, we simply can’t ignore the ways technology is shaping us, as well as children who are growing up in this digital age. The Anxious Generation is both a warning and an invitation: a warning about the dangers of uncritical adoption of technology, and an invitation to reclaim healthier, wiser ways of living and raising children.

As a parent, this book will have obvious implications to consider in how you raise your children.  However, even if you are not a parent, I think you will greatly benefit from this book.  First, it will invite you to further understand your own relationship with technology. Second, it will help you better understand the generation of kids growing up around you.

Here’s what stood out to me from the book:
The Rise of Fragile Kids
Haidt shows how a shift from “play-based childhoods” to “phone-based childhoods” has left kids more isolated and fragile. Where previous generations learned resilience, conflict resolution, and creativity through play and exploration, today’s kids are often glued to screens. That constant “digital drip” doesn’t build resilience—it undermines it. As parents, mentors, and a church family, we need to recover the value of embodied play, face-to-face friendship, and unstructured time.

The Cost of Constant Comparison
Social media creates a world where kids (and let’s be honest—adults) are constantly comparing themselves to curated versions of others. Haidt highlights the correlation between heavy social media use and rising rates of depression, particularly among girls. This makes me think of Paul’s words in Galatians: “Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another” (Gal. 5:26). The gospel offers freedom from that endless treadmill of comparison by grounding our identity in Christ, not in likes or followers.  In order to help our kids (and ourselves!) stay grounded in Christ, we must understand the impact that social media can have on people.

The Erosion of Wisdom
One of Haidt’s key points is that human beings are embodied and social creatures. We learn wisdom not by scrolling endlessly, but by living in real community, facing real challenges, and wrestling with reality. Technology can be a gift, but when it becomes our main teacher, it often leads us away from wisdom and toward distraction, restlessness, and anxiety.

A Call to Courageous Parenting and Discipleship
Perhaps the most convicting part of this book is Haidt’s call for courage. It’s not easy to set limits on screens or delay smartphones for our kids when “everyone else” seems to be doing the opposite. But Haidt makes clear: it’s worth it. As Christians, we can take courage not just from research, but from the Spirit of God who calls us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2). Our task isn’t to hide from technology, but to engage it thoughtfully, wisely, and counter-culturally.

A Vision for the Church
Reading The Anxious Generation made me realize how important the Church can be in this cultural moment. What if our kids found in Redeemer a place where embodied life—singing, praying, playing, eating, and serving together—was more compelling than digital life? What if we modeled rhythms of Sabbath, presence, and real friendship that showed an alternative to anxious, screen-saturated living? That’s not just good parenting advice—that’s discipleship!

SUMMARY:
The Anxious Generation isn’t a Christian book, but it’s one that Christians desperately need to grapple with. It names the crisis so many of us feel but can’t quite articulate, and it gives both data and direction for a healthier way forward. If you’ve ever wondered why anxiety feels so pervasive, if you’ve struggled with the pull of your own phone, if you’ve worried about your kids growing up in this digital age—this book is for you.

Redeemer, let’s be a church that thinks deeply, prays faithfully, and lives wisely in a digital world. We won’t all hold the same convictions around parenting, technology, or social media—and that’s okay. Each of us comes with different experiences, different perspectives, and different callings in how we navigate these tools. What matters is that we approach them thoughtfully, seeking wisdom, grace, and discernment together.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Drew