The Antidote for the Anxious Generation

Since U.S. surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, sounded the alarm over the youth mental health crisis last spring, parents, healthcare providers, educators and legislators have rallied to address the issue, with many using Jonathan Haidt's bestselling book “The Anxious Generation” as a playbook for success. In it, Haidt examines the importance of play and its crucial role in child development, and investigates the marked decline in youth mental health since the 2010s, using decades of research and data to inform his conclusions. 

His call to action is clear: We must take collective action to support our kids.  

At ParentMap, we have spent more than 20 years helping parents navigate both the joys and difficulties of raising great kids, and consider social media and cell phone use among children to now be at a crisis point. We understand the desperate need parents and caregivers have to find resources and support as they forge ahead, paving new roads on their parenting journeys. As you make your way, it's our hope the resources below will help you make informed, thoughtful decisions for your kids and our communities. 

Phone use in schools

• Scroll Less, Live More: Fighting Back Against the Phone-Based Childhood
• Local Schools Tackle Cell Phone Use in the Classroom With Updated Policies
• ParentMap's 2024 Superheroes Address Classroom Cell Phone Use
• Should School Days Be Phone-Free?

Social media and kids

• Surgeon General Calls for Social Media Warning Labels for Kids
• Big Changes to Instagram: Teen Accounts Are Here
• How Much Money Would It Take to Get Kids Off Social Media for One Month?
• No-Frills Smartphone Alternatives for Kids
• Best Smartwatches and Trackers for Parents to Keep Track of Their Kids

Screen time for kids and parents

• 10 Ways to Protect Your Child's Brain From Daily Screen Time
• What Parents Need to Know About the Science of Screen Time and Children
• A Parent's Age-by-Age Guide to Screen Time
• How Much Screen Time Is Too Much for Kids?
• Navigating Kids' Privacy in the Digital Age
• ‘How to Raise a Healthy Gamer’ Helps Parents Navigate Video Games
• Parents, Time to Get Real About Your Own Screen Time

• Navigating the Maze: An Inside Look at Local Child Mental Health Services
• A Green Space Intervention to the Teen Mental Health Crisis
• Our Teens' Mental Health Is Suffering Parents — You Can Help 
• The Easiest Rx for Kids' Mental Health? More Independence
• Youth Mental Health First-Aid Class Helps Adults Learn How to Support Teens
• How to do Mental Health Check-ins With Your Child 

Fostering independence and curiosity through play

• The Incredible Importance of Play
• The Epidemic of Play Deprivation
• Why Children Need to Take Risks in Play
• The Benefits of Child-Directed Play
• How Much Do You Really Have to Play With Your Kids?
• Go Outside and Play: Growing a ‘Playborhood’
• You Can Stop Following Your Kids Around the Playground
• How Danes Prioritize Play in Their Parenting

Where to play around Seattle

• Most Adventurous Playgrounds Around Seattle
• 15 Amazing Playgrounds for Eastside Kids and Families
• 15 Fantastic Family Adventures to Try This Month
• 25 Free Things to Do With Kids This Month

Websites worth a visit

• The Anxious Generation official website 
• Let Grow, leading the movement in childhood independence
• Wait Until 8th, empowering families to delay cell phones until 8th grade
• Away for the Day, program for parents and schools to put cell phones away during school hours
• The Opt Out Family, resources and ideas to give your kids what tech can't

Proposed cell phone legislation

• HB 2018: See its progress in the state legislature