NORFOLK, Va. — Teens are a focus in mental health conversations in the era of the so-called “anxious generation,” a term used to describe the generation of people who grew up with smart phones, social media, video games, and other digital influences.
The Anxious Generation became a popular term following social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s 2024 book of the same name. In the book, Haidt dissects the issues related to introducing addictive screens and dissociated social media to young people, leading to higher rates of anxiety, depression, and other disorders.
In this episode of the Healthy Dude podcast during Mental Health Awareness Month, Kurt is joined by Dr. Betsy Dixon with Sentara Behavioral Health and Sid Wesseldine, a retired special education teacher, about the alarming rates of mental health concerns emerging from Gen Z and Gen Alpha (those born after 1995).