How to Reclaim Childhood for the Anxious Generation
Heather Rutherford • February 5, 2026
The Anxious Generation: How to reclaim childhood
Yes, we should ban smartphone use for under 16's!
The evidence is only more compelling in its favour. Here we explain why and what we can all do about it.
Based on his extensive research, Jonathan Haidt’s hugely topical book ' The Anxious Generation' looks into the devastating mental health epidemic currently affecting our teens, which he explains via the twin dynamics of the adolescent adoption of smartphones and a shift away from the ‘play-based childhood’ that used to be the bedrock of healthy child development.
In this article for Talk Education, I delve into this theory and look at how parents and schools can help turn the tide, ensuring children are no longer over-protected in the real world and under-protected online.