This week we're covering chapter eight, "Spiritual Elevation and Degradation" from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. In this chapter, Haidt explores how the decline of spiritual and communal practices has impacted the mental health of young people in the digital age. He argues that humans have a natural inclination toward spiritual experiences, which historically provided meaning, connection, and transcendence through shared rituals and beliefs. However, the rise of technology, particularly smartphones and social media, has replaced these uplifting experiences with shallow, individualistic, and often degrading digital interactions. Haidt suggests that this shift has left Generation Z more disconnected, anxious, and spiritually unmoored, as virtual environments fail to fulfill the human need for awe, purpose, and community. He emphasizes the importance of fostering real-world spiritual practices, such as mindfulness, religious engagement, or nature-based experiences, to counteract the negative effects of digital overload. The chapter calls for a cultural reclamation of sacred, embodied experiences to restore mental and emotional well-being in young people.

If you want to join the discussion, please click here to join our online book club community!

Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.

You can check out Adrianne's new app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.

View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.

If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!

Join the discussion on instagram @slp_bookclub.

Find us on TikTok @theslpbookclub.

A lot of the resources mentioned in the podcast are free to download in the Laura G SLP store on TPT, find them here!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're covering chapter seven, "What is Happening to Boys?" from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. In this chapter, Haidt examines the mental health crisis affecting boys, driven by the shift to a phone-based childhood. Since the early 2010s, boys have experienced rising depression and anxiety, though less severely than girls, alongside a long-term decline in school engagement and achievement. The accessibility of video games and pornography has pulled many boys into virtual worlds, reducing real-world social interactions and contributing to loneliness and disconnection. For a subset of boys, excessive gaming leads to addiction, harming mental and physical health and straining family relationships. Haidt notes that boys’ retreat into digital spaces, coupled with overprotective parenting and reduced unsupervised play, hinders their development of resilience and social skills. This "Great Rewiring" of childhood has left many boys at risk of "failure to launch," with some becoming young adults not engaged in education, employment, or training.

If you want to join the discussion, please click here to join our online book club community!

Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.

You can check out Adrianne's new app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.

View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.

If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!

Join the discussion on instagram @slp_bookclub.

Find us on TikTok @theslpbookclub.

A lot of the resources mentioned in the podcast are free to download in the Laura G SLP store on TPT, find them here!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're covering chapter six from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, "Why Social Media Harms Girls More." In this chapter, Jonathan Haidt explores the disproportionate negative impact of social media on girls' mental health. He argues that girls are more vulnerable to social media's effects due to their heightened sensitivity to social comparison and relational aggression. The chapter highlights how platforms amplify insecurities through curated images and idealized lifestyles, leading to increased anxiety, depression, and body image issues. Haidt cites research showing that girls who spend more time on social media report lower self-esteem and higher rates of self-harm. He emphasizes the need for targeted interventions to mitigate these harms, such as limiting social media use and fostering real-world connections.

If you want to join the discussion, please click here to join our online book club community!

Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.

You can check out Adrianne's new app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.

View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.

If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!

Join the discussion on instagram @slp_bookclub.

Find us on TikTok @theslpbookclub.

A lot of the resources mentioned in the podcast are free to download in the Laura G SLP store on TPT, find them here!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're covering chapter five from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, "The Four Foundational Harms." In this chapter, Jonathan Haidt outlines four foundational harms of the phone-based childhood: social deprivation, sleep deprivation, attention fragmentation, and addiction. He argues that excessive smartphone use reduces face-to-face interactions, critical for social development, leading to increased loneliness and weakened relationships. Sleep deprivation, caused by late-night screen time, contributes to anxiety, irritability, and impaired cognitive function, particularly in teens. Attention fragmentation results from constant notifications and multitasking, diminishing focus and deep engagement with tasks. Lastly, Haidt describes addiction to smartphones and social media, driven by dopamine-fueled apps, which disrupts healthy development and well-being. These harms collectively exacerbate the mental health crisis among adolescents, with evidence showing a sharp rise in anxiety, depression, and self-harm since the widespread adoption of smartphones around 2010.

If you want to join the discussion, please click here to join our online book club community!

Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.

You can check out Adrianne's new app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.

View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.

If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!

Join the discussion on instagram @slp_bookclub.

Find us on TikTok @theslpbookclub.

A lot of the resources mentioned in the podcast are free to download in the Laura G SLP store on TPT, find them here!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're covering chapter four from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, "Puberty and the Blocked Transition to Adulthood." This chapter explores how the shift to a phone-based childhood disrupts the critical developmental transitions of puberty, delaying adolescents' progression toward adulthood. Haidt argues that the over-reliance on smartphones and social media reduces real-world experiences, limiting opportunities for risk-taking, independence, and identity formation essential during puberty. Haidt highlights how digital immersion replaces physical and social activities, leading to a "blocked transition" where teens remain in a prolonged state of dependency rather than developing adult-like responsibilities. He points to data showing declines in milestones like getting a driver’s license or entering the workforce, with 60% fewer teens working part-time jobs compared to previous generations. The chapter also discusses how social media’s curated environments amplify self-consciousness and social comparison, particularly for girls, exacerbating anxiety and hindering self-esteem development. Haidt emphasizes that this rewiring of adolescence by technology creates a generation less equipped for the challenges of adulthood.

If you want to join the discussion, please click here to join our online book club community!

Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.

You can check out Adrianne's new app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.

View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.

If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!

Join the discussion on instagram @slp_bookclub.

Find us on TikTok @theslpbookclub.

A lot of the resources mentioned in the podcast are free to download in the Laura G SLP store on TPT, find them here!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're covering chapter three from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, "The Great Rewiring: How Childhood Changed, 2010–2015." This chapter examines the rapid shift from play-based to phone-based childhoods during the early 2010s, which Haidt calls the "Great Rewiring." He argues that the widespread adoption of smartphones and social media fundamentally altered how children socialize, learn, and develop, leading to increased mental health issues. The chapter highlights how this period saw a decline in free play and face-to-face interactions, replaced by screen time that disrupted critical developmental processes like synaptic pruning, essential for healthy brain development. Haidt identifies three key instincts (free play, attunement, and social learning) that are undermined by excessive device use, contributing to social deprivation and emotional challenges. He supports this with data showing a surge in anxiety and depression among Gen Z, particularly as smartphone ownership became nearly universal by 2016. The chapter sets the stage for exploring specific harms to boys and girls in later sections, emphasizing the loss of real-world experiences

If you want to join the discussion, please click here to join our online book club community!

Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.

You can check out Adrianne's new app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.

View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.

If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!

Join the discussion on instagram @slp_bookclub.

Find us on TikTok @theslpbookclub.

A lot of the resources mentioned in the podcast are free to download in the Laura G SLP store on TPT, find them here!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're covering chapter two from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. This chapter is titled "What Children Need to Do in Childhood," and in it, Haidt explores the essential developmental needs of children, emphasizing the critical role of play in fostering resilience and social skills. He argues that unstructured, independent play allows children to test limits, navigate risks, and build emotional and social competence, which are vital for healthy development. Haidt highlights how the shift from a play-based to a phone-based childhood has disrupted these processes, leaving children less equipped to handle adversity. He draws on research to show that mammals, including humans, require play to wire their brains for adulthood, and its absence can lead to increased anxiety and weaker social bonds. The chapter sets the stage for understanding how modern childhood, dominated by screens, undermines these foundational experiences.

If you want to join the discussion, please click here to join our online book club community!

Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.

You can check out Adrianne's new app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.

View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.

If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!

Join the discussion on instagram @slp_bookclub.

Find us on TikTok @theslpbookclub.

A lot of the resources mentioned in the podcast are free to download in the Laura G SLP store on TPT, find them here!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back after a two month hiatus and ready to tackle The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. This week we're covering the Introduction and Chapter One. The introduction outlines how the shift from a play-based childhood to a screen-dominated one has disrupted healthy development. Haidt argues that this "great rewiring" of childhood, starting around 2010, correlates with increased anxiety, depression, and self-harm. Chapter One delves into the data, showing sharp spikes in mental health disorders, particularly among girls, post-smartphone era. He highlights how constant connectivity and curated online lives erode real-world social skills and self-esteem. The chapter sets the stage for examining solutions to restore a healthier childhood.

If you want to join the discussion, please click here to join our online book club community!

Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.

You can check out Adrianne's new app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.

View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.

If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!

Join the discussion on instagram @slp_bookclub.

Find us on TikTok @theslpbookclub.

A lot of the resources mentioned in the podcast are free to download in the Laura G SLP store on TPT, find them here!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.