Parenting as a Community

Over the course of this semester, and during my time interning for Olive Branch Counseling Associates, I have been reading the book The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt (2024).  The book is about the obvious mental health crisis going on within our youth due to the presence of smartphones and social media. The author provides thorough evidence on how a phone-based childhood is detrimental to the development of a person compared to a play-based childhood.

One of the solutions to this growing issue is voluntary coordination within a community.  See, the reason why parents feel like they have no other option but to provide their child with a smartphone at too young of an age is because they do not want their kids to feel excluded. But, as suggested by Haidt, if a community, such as parents of children attending the same school or within a school district, united in the decision to delay giving their children smartphones until later in their development, those children would grow up among peers who share the same level of independence from smartphones. Therefore, it would be less likely that a child would feel left out from “everybody else”, and parents would be less inclined to give their child a smartphone, avoiding incredibly negative influences on their child’s development.

Implementing this in your community could be the start of a change in direction in the development of our youth. It seems nearly impossible to reverse the effects that smartphones have had on the developing generations, but it is possible to start the new generations off clean. If you are a parent of a young child, try having a conversation with parents of your child’s peers. Make parenting connections within your community so that your child is not influenced to indulge in things that will stunt their development when away from home.

If you have any questions, concerns, or need guidance about parenting styles or your child’s mental health, feel free to contact us at Olive Branch Counseling Associates! Our professional therapists are equipped to provide various services both in person at our office located at 6819—167^th St. in Tinley Park, Illinois 60477 and via telehealth communication calls. Call us today at 708-633-8000 to book an appointment!

Myleigh, undergrad intern, 2025

Olive Branch Counseling Associates, Inc.

Reference:

Haidt, J. (2024). The anxious generation: How the great rewiring of childhood is causing an

            epidemic of mental illness. Penguin Random House.