THE ANXIOUS

GENER ATION

HOW THE GREAT REWIRING

OF CHILDHOOD IS C AUSING AN

EPIDEMIC OF MENTAL ILLNESS

JONATHAN HAIDT

S U P P L E M E N TA L R E S O U R C E S
Copyright © 2024 by Jonathan Haidt
 1

Major Depression Among Teens

30

25
Percent of U.S. Teens

20

15

10

0
04

06

08

10

12

14

16

20
18
20

20
20
20

20

20
20
20

20

Figure 1.1. Percent of U.S. teens (ages ­12–​­17) who had at least one major depressive
episode in the past year, by ­self-​­report based on a symptom checklist. This was fig-
ure 7.1 in The Coddling of the American Mind, now updated with data beyond 2016.
(Source: U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health.)3

Mental Illness Among College Students

25
Percent of U.S. Undergraduates

20

15

10

0
08

10

12

14

16

18
20

20
20
20

20
20

Figure 1.2. Percent of U.S. undergraduates with each of several mental illnesses.
Rates of diagnosis of various mental illnesses increased in the 2010s among college
students, especially for anxiety and depression. (Source: American College Health
Association.)9
 2

Anxiety Prevalence by Age

Percent of U.S. Population 20

15

10

0
08

10

12

14

16

18

20
20

20
20

20

20

20
20

Figure 1.3. Percent of U.S. adults reporting high levels of anxiety by age group.
(Source: U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health.)11

Emergency Room Visits for Self-Harm

500
Rate (per 100,000 Population)

400

300

200

100

0
04

06

08

10

12

14

16

18

20
20

20
20
20

20

20
20
20

20

Figure 1.4. The rate per 100,000 in the U.S. population at which adolescents (ages
­10–​­14) are treated in hospital emergency rooms for nonfatal ­self-​­injury. (Source: U.S.
Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.)20
 3

Suicide Rates for Younger Adolescents

4
Rate (per 100,000 Population)

0
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
Figure 1.5. Suicide rates for U.S. adolescents, ages ­10–​­14. (Source: U.S. Centers for
Disease Control, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.)22

Communication Technology Adoption

100
Percent of U.S. Households

75

50

25

0
1925 1940 1955 1970 1985 2000 2015

Figure 1.6. The share of U.S. households using specific technologies. The smart-
phone was adopted faster than any other communication technology in history.
(Source: Our World in Data.)25
 4

Teenage Depression vs. Adult Unemployment

25

20
Percent of Population

15

10

0
2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018

Figure 1.7. The U.S. unemployment rate (percent of adults in the labor market who
are unemployed) fell continuously as the adolescent mental health crisis got worse.
(Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. National Survey Drug Use and
Health.) 40

Excellent or Very Good Mental Health, Canadian Women

80
Percent of Population

70

60

50
09
03

05

07

19
13

15

17
11
20

20
20
20

20
20

20
20

20

Figure 1.8. Percent of girls and women in Ontario, Canada, who reported that their
mental health was either “excellent” or “very good.” (Source: D. Garriguet [2021],
Portrait of youth in Canada: Data report.) 47
 5

Self-Harm Episodes, U.K. Teens

1250
Rate (per 100,000 Population)

1000

750

500

250

0
04

06

08

10

12

14

16

18
20

20

20
20

20
20
20

20

Figure 1.9. U.K. teens’ (ages ­13–​­16) ­self-​­harm episodes. (Source: Cybulski et al., 2021,
drawing from two databases of anonymized British medical records.)51

Mental Health Hospitalizations, Australia

1250
Rate (per 100,000 Population)

1000

750

500

250

0
08

10

12

18

20
14

16
20

20
20

20

20

20
20

Figure 1.10. Rate at which Australian teens (ages ­12–​­24) were kept in hospitals over-
night for mental health reasons. (Source: Australia’s Health 2022 Data Insights.)53
 6

High Psychological Distress, Nordic Nations

Percent of Nordic Teens

02

06

10

14

18
20
20

20
20

20

Figure 1.11. Percent of Nordic teens with high psychological distress (ages 1­ 1–​­15).
(Source: Data from the Health Behavior in School Age Children Survey.)56

Alienation in School, Worldwide

Average Alienation Scores

00

09
03

06

18
12

15
20
20

20
20

20
20

20

Figure 1.12. Worldwide school alienation scores over time (age 15). Note that the
increase in school loneliness occurs in all regions other than Asia, mostly between
2012 and 2015. (These questions were not asked in the 2006 and 2009 surveys.) Scores
range from 1 (low alienation) to 4 (high alienation). (Source: Twenge, Haidt et al.
[2021]. Data from PISA.)59
 7

Meet Up with Friends Daily

60

Percent of Students
40

20

0
1991

2011
1993
1995
1997

2013
2015
2017
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009

Figure 2.1. Percentage of U.S. students (8th, 10th, and 12th grade) who say that they
meet up with their friends “almost every day” outside school.12 (Source: Monitoring
the Future. I explain how I use this important dataset in the endnotes.)13

Figure 2.2. Baby geese who had imprinted on Konrad Lorenz’s boots.29
 8

Two Basic Mindsets

Discover mode (BAS) Defend mode (BIS)

• Scan for opportunities • Scan for dangers
• Kid in a candy shop • Scarcity mindset
• Think for yourself • Cling to your team
• Let me grow! • Keep me safe!

Figure 3.1. Discover mode versus defend mode, for a student arriving at a university.

Self-Reported Disabilities, College Freshmen

Percent of Students

10

12

14

16

18
20

20
20

20

20

Figure 3.2. Percentage of U.S. college freshmen reporting various kinds of disabili-
ties and disorders. (Source: Annual Freshman Survey, by UCLA’s Higher Education
Research Institute.)8
 9

Figure 3.3. Wilma, age 7 months, executing a hairpin turn as her sprint toward a
German shepherd sharply angled into a sprint away, which was followed by play
position and more sprinting toward the larger dog. You can see the video of this in-
teraction in the online supplement.

Figure 3.4. An overly dangerous playground in Dallas, Texas, year unknown.18

 10

Figure 3.5. A playground spinner (or merry‑­go‑­round), a staple of 1970s playgrounds.21

Figure 3.6. An overly safe playground, offering little opportunity for antifragile kids
to learn how to not get hurt.23
 11

Figure 3.7. Coney Island, New York City, offers a wide range of dosages of thrills.24

Time Spent Parenting by Mothers

Hours per Week

19 5
68
71
74

19 7
80

19 3
86

19 9
19 2
19 5
98

20 1
04
07
0
9
7
6

9
8

8
19

20
19
19

20
19

19

19

Figure 3.8. Time spent parenting by U.S. mothers. Parenting time suddenly in-
creased in the ­m id-​­1990s—​­the beginning of Gen Z. (Source: Ramey & Ramey, 2000.)31
 12

“We ve created a safe, nonjudgmental environment that will

leave your child ill-prepared for real life.

Figure 3.9. New Yorker cartoon by W. Haefeli. 51

Figure 3.10. Restrictions on free play, at an elementary school in Berkeley, California.53

 13

The Attachment System

Figure 3.11. The mammalian attachment system. 55

Teens Engaging in Adult Activities

100

90
Percent of Students

80

70
Alcohol Consumption
Work
60
Driver’s License
Sexual Intercourse
50
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018

Figure 4.1. The percentage of U.S. high school seniors who have engaged in four
adult activities has been declining since the 1990s or early 2000s, prior to the Great
Rewiring of 2010 to 2015. (Source: Monitoring the Future and CDC Youth Risk Be-
havior Survey.)17
 14

Daily Time with Friends, by Age Group

160

140

120
Minutes per Day

100

80

60

40

20

0
03
05
07
09
11
13
15
17
19
20

20
20
20

20
20
20
20

20

Figure 5.1. Daily average time spent with friends in minutes. Only the youngest age
group shows a sharp drop before the 2020 data collection, which was performed
after COVID restrictions had begun. (Source: American Time Use Study.)19

Teens Who Get Less Than 7 Hours of Sleep

50

40
Percent of Students

30

20

10

0
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019

Figure 5.2. Percent of U.S. students (8th, 10th, and 12th grade) who get less than
seven hours of sleep on most nights. (Source: Monitoring the Future.)33
 15

Figure 5.3. The Hooked model. From Nir Eyal’s 2014 book, Hooked: How to Build
­Habit-​­Forming Products. In the book, Eyal warned about the ethical implications of
misusing the model in a section titled “The Morality of Manipulation.”55
 16

Figure 5.4. Screenshot of an internal Facebook presentation, brought out by Frances

Haugen. The caption says, “Teens’ decisions and behavior are mainly driven by emo-
tion, the intrigue of novelty and reward. While these all seem positive, they make
teens very vulnerable at the elevated levels they operate on. Especially in the ab-
sence of a mature frontal cortex to help impose limits on the indulgence in these.”
(Source: The Facebook Files, section 42/​15, p. 53.)56
 17

Figure 6.1. Drawing made by Alexis Spence in April 2015, age 12. The words on her
laptop are “worthless, die, ugly, stupid, kill yourself.” The words on her phone are
“stupid, ugly, fat.” Copied from the court filing in Spence v. Meta.1
 18

Depression by Level of Social Media Use, U.K.

% Clinically Significant Depression

None < 1 hour 1–2 hrs 3–4 hrs 5+ hrs

Figure 6.2. Percent of U.K. teens depressed as a function of hours per weekday on
social media. Teens who are heavy users of social media are more depressed than
light users and nonusers, and this is especially true for girls. (Source: Millennium
Cohort Study.)11

Social Media Super-Users (40+ Hours per Week)

15
Percent of Students

10

0
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Figure 6.3. Percent of U.S. students (8th, 10th, and 12th grade) who reported spend-
ing 40 or more hours a week on social media. (Source: Monitoring the Future.)28
 19

Figure 6.4. Beauty filters can make you as perfect as you want to be, which then
increases the pressure on other girls to improve their beauty. (Source: Josephine
Livin, @josephinelivin, on Instagram.)37

Satisfied with Oneself

Percent of Students

19 1
93

19 5
19 7
20 9
20 1
03

20 5
20 7
09

20 1
20 3
20 5
20 7
19
1
0
9

1
0
9
9

1
0

1
9

20
19

19

20

Figure 6.5. The sociometer plunge of 2012. Percent of U.S. students (8th, 10th, and
12th grade) who said they were satisfied with themselves. (Source: Monitoring the
Future.)
 20

Have a Few Close Friends

80

Percent of Students
70

60

50
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
Often Feel Lonely

40

30
Percent of Students

20

10

0
19 7
99

20 1
03

20 5
20 7
09

20 1
13

20 5
20 7
19
1
0

1
0
9

1
0

20

20
20
19

20

Figure 6.7. Percent of U.S. students (8th, 10th, and 12th grade) who agreed or mostly
agreed with the statement “A lot of times I feel lonely.” (Source: Monitoring the Future.)
 21

No Chance of a Successful Life

15

Percent of Students
10

0
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991

2019
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
Figure 7.1. Percent of U.S. high school seniors who agreed or mostly agreed with the
statement “People like me don’t have much of a chance at a successful life.” (Source:
Monitoring the Future.)2

Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms (U.S. Teens)

Figure 7.2. Internalizing and externalizing symptoms of U.S. high school seniors. In
the 2010s, externalizing scores dropped for both sexes while internalizing scores
rose. (Source: Askari et al. [2022], with data from Monitoring the Future.)25
 22

Enjoyment of Risk-Taking

Percent of Students

1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
Figure 7.3. Percent of U.S. students (8th, 10th, and 12th grade) who agreed with the
statement “I like to test myself every now and then by doing something a little bit
risky.” Enjoyment of risk-taking declined more rapidly for boys than for girls in the
2010s. (Source: Monitoring the Future.)26

Hospital Admissions for Unintentional Injuries

Rate (per 100,000 Population)

20 0
20 2
04

20 6
08
10

20 2
14

20 6
18

20 0
20 2
04

20 6
08

20 0
20 2
14

20 6
18
1

1
0

0
1

1
1
0

0
0

0
20

20

20
20

20
20

20
20

20

Figure 7.4. On the left: Annual rate at which U.S. males are admitted to hospitals for
unintentional injuries, by age group. On the right: Same, for U.S. females. Black line
is ages 1­ 0–​­19, the age group that used to have the highest rates of injury and now has
among the lowest. (Source: Centers for Disease Control.)28
 23

Daily Porn Users, Swedish 12th Graders

25

Percent of Students 20

15

10

0
2004 2009 2014

Figure 7.5. Percent of Swedish 12th graders who watch pornography “more or less
daily.” (Source: Donevan et al., 2022.)36

Life Often Feels Meaningless

25

20
Percent of Seniors

15

10

0
1990
1992
1994
1996

2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
1998
2000
2002
2004

2016
2018

Figure 7.6. Percent of U.S. high school seniors who agreed or mostly agreed with the
statement “Life often feels meaningless.” (Source: Monitoring the Future.)
 24

Figure 8.1. Three dimensions of social space.

Figure 11.1. The junkyard playground on Governors Island, New York City, designed
and run by play:groundNYC.29
 25

“It’s been so nice getting to interact with you for these past six years. Here’s your first device.”

Figure 12.1. H. Lin, in The New Yorker.17