Announcing The Amazing Generation!
A new book for tweens co-written by me and Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation
Friends:
As some of the more devoted readers of this newsletter may have noticed, after a flurry of activity at the beginning of the year surrounding the relaunch of How to Break Up With Your Phone (and a mother’s day essay praising mom jeans), I dropped a bit off the Substack map. Today, I’m excited to tell you why I’ve been so MIA: I’ve been working on the manuscript for a new book!
It’s called The Amazing Generation: How to Choose Fun and Freedom in a Screen-Filled World, and it’s a collaboration between me and Jonathan Haidt, #1 NYT bestselling author of The Anxious Generation.
Written specifically for tweens (think 5th-8th graders) The Amazing Generation is meant to be a companion to The Anxious Generation: it’s an inspirational, empowering handbook for living a happy and exciting life that isn't hijacked by a smartphone.
It’s coming out December 30th, and you can preorder it now!
The Backstory
If you’re a parent, you’ve probably heard of The Anxious Generation: it’s sparked an international conversation around the effects that smartphones and social media have on kids and teens, and has created an international push to get smartphones out of school from bell to bell, rethink the age at which we give our kids access to smartphones and social media, and provide children with more opportunities for independence and free play. (If you haven’t read it, I recommend grabbing a copy immediately.)
In The Anxious Generation, Jon advocates for four new “norms” for kids:
-No smartphones until at least high school
-No social media until at least 16
-Phone-free schools from bell to bell
-More independence, free play and responsibility in the real world
Jon has assembled an amazing team of strategists, researchers, writers, advocates, and policy experts who have been working around the clock to turn what started as a book into a global movement to reclaim childhood for our kids. As the parent of a ten-year-old, I could not be more grateful for all the work the team is doing—and if you’re a parent yourself, you should be, too: the momentum is astonishing, and it’s the first time since I started writing about technology that I’ve actually felt like there’s hope for my daughter’s generation. (You can learn more about the team and the movement at AnxiousGeneration.com.)
As for my personal relationship with Jon, he and I met a few years ago at a TED event. We quickly discovered that we were both passionate about how technology is impacting the experience of being human and what the ingredients are for a happy and fulfilling life. He invited me to collaborate with him and his team, and then we officially joined forces last fall to create this new book for tweens.
Our goal is get the kids’ buy-in for the Four Norms: we want to inspire them to choose to delay their access to smartphones and social media and build a world for themselves and their generation that’s full of opportunities for adventure and fun.
Relevant whether or not kids already have smartphones or social media accounts, The Amazing Generation isn’t a finger-wagging lecture. Instead, it’s a bold, optimistic, and practical guide designed to help the next generation of young people make smart choices about technology and grow into their most authentic, confident, and adventurous selves. Framed as a battle between greedy technology “wizards” and rebellious, savvy kids, it includes:
A short graphic novel, interspersed throughout the book, that’s meant to draw readers in (the graphic novel is being illustrated by Cynthia Yuan Cheng, who did some of the Babysitters’ Club graphic novels, and looks really great!)
Surprising facts that tech execs don’t want kids to know about their products (for example, that many tech execs don’t let their own children use the products they’ve created)
Real stories from teens and young adults who regret getting smartphones and social media accounts too early and want to help the next generation avoid their mistakes
Challenges and tips for becoming your most authentic, confident, and adventurous self
And most of all: the message that today's kids don't have to become tomorrow's anxious generation — they can join forces, rebel against the tech "wizards," and choose to build lives full of freedom, friendship, and fun.
Can you tell I’m excited? I’m excited.
In the latest installment of “I can’t believe this is my life” news, we just announced the book on Oprah’s podcast yesterday — check out the interview here (or listen to it on your favorite podcast app).
So that’s my big news for you!
It takes a village, so I’d love it if you would spread the word about the book with your family, friends, and school communities—maybe even encourage them to pre-order it an early holiday gift!
To scrolling less, living more, and helping our kids help themselves,
I'm SO EXCITED about this!!! I have a 16 year old (who doesn't have a phone yet btw hahaha), and run an org that gets teens outside throughout the school year, screen free. I can't wait to share this with the families we serve.
Great work!!!!
This is much needed! Parents and kids need to be educated on this important subject. This looks just like the Kids’ Brains and Screens book that I have from ScreenStrong, another excellent resource for teens and parents. You should consider collaborating with them! I know they have been doing similar work for over a decade.