Understanding Mental Health in Generations

We fail to recognize and care for people’s mental health.

Just heard Jonathan Haidt discuss “the anxious generation”. I respect his work in moral reasoning. But this premise is reductionist.

Younger generations may well be worse off. But they may also be more open in acknowledging their mental state. Which is a good thing. And we need more of it.

Data supports mobile devices and particularly social media contribute. But saying this coincides with restricting children’s ability to play and explore on their own is anecdotal and socio-economically specific. Stranger danger started decades before. Many parents don’t have the means to accompany their kids everywhere. Many face real dangers that kids on a bike in the suburbs would not.

Gen-Z was born in a terror alert. Grew up during a multi-generational war. They know older generations have let them down on climate, race, equity, and political discourse. They are observing a decline in democracy world wide and attacks on democratic institutions domestically.

They navigated a pandemic that disrupted their lives, set back their education, damaged their health, and killed people they know. They are joining the work force during the disruption of entry level work.

And parents banding together to withhold smartphones from their tweens will transform their mental well-being? By all means, go for it. It will do some good for some kids. But consider all the other more profound changes we need to make beyond the scale of our play group.

This is picking out a thread and calling it the tapestry.