misssophiawilliams's reviews
115 reviews

This book was quick to dismiss any other theories other than smartphones as to why mental health in Gen Z is so poor. Moreover,  this book is filled to the brim with poor research, some misinformation, and overall wild speculation as to why my generation behaves the way they do. Some of my favorite parts of this wonderful book:

- labeling gender dysphoria within AFAB populations as a contagious, hysterical illness akin to the rare cases of people faking DID and Tourette’s after being exposed to DID/Tourettes accounts

-talking about the “God-shaped hole” in all of our hearts. In general, the chapter on spirituality was wholly unnecessary in a book that was ripping on social media the entire time. 

All in all, the book is very much giving “old man yelling at the sky” about social media. Haidt has some solid ideas behind ways to get the youth™️ in a better place mentally, but this largely depends on parents enforcing clear boundaries on their children’s use of social media. Which is a good thing that should be happening anyways. You don’t need 400 pages to tell you that! Anyways, Haidt clearly suffers from “my childhood was obviously the best time to grow up and if kids lived like I did then they’d be less sensitive and mentally ill”.

I firmly disagree that social media CAUSES mental illness — it exasperates preexisting issues and conflicts that are embedded in our society. The only positive thing this book will get out of me is agreeing on more play time and spaces for our youth.