Wright Memorial Public Library and Oakwood Schools will host a community-wide read of the New York Times bestseller, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, by Jonathan Haidt. Registration for three community conversations will open Friday, Sept. 6 at wrightlibrary.org. 

Community members are invited to read the book and participate in a series of conversations this October and November about the issues and solutions discussed in The Anxious Generation with emphasis on how technology is impacting youth mental health. 

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness (2024) makes the case that the rise of smartphones and overprotective parenting have led to a "rewiring" of childhood and a rise in mental illness. Haidt, a social psychologist at New York University, describes steps that parents, teachers, schools, tech companies, and governments can take to end the epidemic of mental illness and restore a more humane childhood.

The Community Read will feature four events diving into the topics of the book. A panel discussion featuring Oakwood Schools and community experts on technology and mental health will kick off the programming at 7 p.m. Sept. 30th at Wright Library. 

Three subsequent community conversations will use the Conversation Cafe approach, a small group discussion method to facilitate safe, productive conversations.

“Conversation is powerful,” said Wright Library Director Kristi Hale. “By using this book as a starting point and coming together in open, honest dialogue, I’m hopeful that we will find new ways forward toward raising healthier, happier kids.”

Participants are encouraged to read as much of the book as possible, but the conversation is open to all adults who care about the mental health of young people. Each conversation will begin with an introduction and then break out into small groups, each facilitated by someone from the library or Oakwood Schools trained in the Conversation Cafe method. 

Community Read: The Anxious Generation Events

• Panel Discussion - Kids & Tech: A Parent’s Guide Sept. 30, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
  Wright Library Community Room (no registration required)

• Conversation - Why are Kids & Teens so Anxious and Depressed? Thursday, October 24 6:30-8:30 p.m. This conversation will focus on what Haidt calls the “Surge of Suffering,” skyrocketing rates of mental health problems experienced by teens and kids and how that is connected to our culture of fearful parenting, safetyism in the real world, and the breakdown of adult solidarity. (Registration required)

• Conversation - The Great Rewiring: How Childhood Has Changed Wednesday, October 30 6:30-8:30 p.m. Haidt sites four “foundational harms” of wide-spread, constant cell phone use - social deprivation, sleep deprivation, attention fragmentation, and addiction. He shares data that shows girls are deeply harmed by social media, while boys are more affected by video games and pornography. This conversation will focus on how “The Great Rewiring” has changed the way kids & teens are growing up. (Registration required)

• Conversation Actions for a Healthier Childhood Thursday, November 14 6:30-8:30 p.m. What can parents, schools, governments, and tech companies do to protect kids and teens from addictive, easily accessed, destructive, and attention-stealing devices and content? (Registration required)

Print, digital, and audio copies of The Anxious Generation are available at Wright Library and all major booksellers.