Berlin Library Looks Into 'The Anxious Generation'

Press release from the Berlin-Peck Memorial Library:

BERLIN, CT — The Berlin-Peck Memorial Library is delving into the issue of mental health and anxiety for the nation's youngest generation.

That's why it is promoting its extensive collection of titles that deal with these issue

Jonathan Haidt’s "The Anxious Generation" offers a thoughtful exploration of the challenges facing today’s youth and the societal pressures shaping their mental health.

If you found its insights compelling—or if you were looking for something just a little different—this booklist features similar titles that delve into topics like anxiety, resilience, generational change, and mental well-being.

The library is located at 234 Kensington Road, Berlin.

About The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s.

Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rose sharply, more than doubling on many measures. Why?

In The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that hit many countries at the same time.

Haidt shows how “play-based childhood” began to decline in the 1980s, and how it was finally wiped out by the arrival of the “phone-based childhood” in the early 2010s.

He presents more than a dozen ways this “great rewiring of childhood” has interfered with children’s development, covering everything from sleep deprivation to attention fragmentation, addiction, loneliness, social contagion, social comparison, and perfectionism.

Most important, Haidt issues a clear call to action and proposes describes steps that parents, teachers, schools, tech companies, and governments can take to end the epidemic of mental illness and restore a more humane childhood.

Part of a town-wide initiative to read and learn together!

One Book One Berlin is a collaboration between the Berlin-Peck Memorial Library, Berlin Public Schools, Berlin police—and you! Our purpose is to bring the community together to promote reading, discuss ideas, and break down barriers between people.

Learn More

Technology and Social Media

The Screentime Solution
A Judgment-Free Guide To Becoming A Tech-Intentional Family

Emily Cherkin

In The Screentime Solution, Emily teaches parents to become “tech-intentional”#using screen-based technologies to enhance, nurture, and align with family values while avoiding, delaying, or limiting screentime that interferes with healthy mental, physical, cognitive, and emotional development

Parenting Anxious Kids
Understanding Anxiety In Children By Age And Stage

Regine Galanti

In this complete guide for parenting kids with anxiety, a licensed clinical psychologist provides research-based tips and actionable steps for raising resilient, independent and healthy children despite childhood anxieties

Screen-Smart Parenting
How To Find Balance And Benefit In Your Child’s Use Of Social Media, Apps, And Digital Devices

Jodi Gold

Even for today’s most tech-savvy parents, managing kids’ technology use is a huge challenge fraught with uncertainties. What kinds (and amounts) of screen time boost learning and development–and what kinds may be harmful? What is the right age for a game console or a smartphone? How can kids and teens be protected from cyberbullying and learn to be good digital citizens? What impact do parents’ technology habits have? In her busy psychiatry practice–and while raising her own kids–Jodi Gold sees every day both the mind-boggling benefits and the serious downsides of technology. In a positive, accessible style, she gives parents a wealth of practical strategies for navigating the digital frontier and creating realistic, doable rules and expectations for the whole family.

Growing Up In Public
Coming Of Age In A Digital World

Devorah Heitner

Drawing on her extensive work with parents and schools as well as hundreds of interviews with kids, parents, educators, clinicians and scholars, a leading authority on raising resilient and kind children offers advice for helping tweens and teens navigate boundaries, identity, privacy and reputation in their digital world

Screenwise
Helping Kids Thrive (And Survive) In Their Digital World

Devorah Heitner

Offers strategies and hacks for mentoring children in the digital age and navigating the unique parenting challenges it presents

How To Raise A Healthy Gamer
End Power Struggles, Break Bad Screen Habits, And Transform Your Relationship With Your Kids

Alok Kanojia

A former Harvard Medical School instructor and founder of Healthy Gamer provides parents with critical information about gaming culture, how games affect developing brains and solutions rooted in the science for defining, setting and reinforcing health boundaries around video games

Glow Kids
How Screen Addiction Is Hijacking Our Kids– And How To Break The Trance

Nicholas Kardaras

The addiction expert author of How Plato and Pythagoras Can Save Your Life presents a controversial argument that technology has negatively affected the brains of today’s children, linking screen tech to a range of disorders while making recommendations for minimizing technology use

The Opt-Out Family
How To Give Your Kids What Technology Can’t

Erin Loechner

The Opt-Out Family unveils compelling research and startling insights from Erin Loechner’s experiences as a social media trailblazer and former influencer, as well as practical and creative ways to transform your family’s relationship with today’s ever-evolving technology

Growing Up Social
Raising Relational Kids In A Screen-Driven World

Gary D Chapman, Arlene Pellicane

In this digital age, children are spending more and more time interacting with a screen rather than a parent Technology has the potential to add value to our families, but it can also erode a sense of togetherness and hinder a child’s emotional growth In Growing Up Social#Raising Relational Kids in a Screen-Driven World, you’ll learn how to take back your home from an over-dependence on screens Discover the five A+ skills needed to give your child the relational edge in life#affection, appreciation, anger management, apology, and attention

The Big Disconnect
Protecting Childhood And Family Relationships In The Digital Age

Catherine Steiner-Adair

An internationally recognized clinical psychologist, drawing on real-life stories from her work, offers insight and advice to help parents successfully navigate today’s technologically advanced world and turn the focus back to family and meaningful relationships

Reclaiming Conversation
The Power Of Talk In A Digital Age

Sherry Turkle

A renowned media scholar investigates how a flight from conversation undermines our relationships, creativity and productivity—and why reclaiming face-to-face conversation can help us regain lost ground

Parenting in Today’s World

Pixel Flesh
How Toxic Beauty Culture Harms Women

Ellen Atlanta

Weaving her personal story with others’ to reconfigure our obsession with the cult of beauty and explore the reality of living in a world of paradoxes, the author presents a fascinating account of what young women face under a dominant industry and unmasks the absurdities of the standards we suddenly find ourselves upholding

Unselfie
Why Empathetic Kids Succeed In Our All-About-Me World

Michele Borba

Citing the reasons a healthy sense of empathy can secure a child’s long-term well-being in today’s connected, media-driven culture, the best-selling author of The Big Book of Parenting Solutions outlines a nine-step program for cultivating empathy to foster kindness, leadership skills and courage in today’s kids

Understanding Teenage Anxiety
A Parent’s Guide To Improving Your Teen’s Mental Health

Jennifer Browne, Cody Buchanan

This book is a product of a combination of three very different perspectives#those of the anxious teen, the parent, and the therapist We need to understand what we’ve created in terms of our current society to gain proper insight on why we’re seeing increasingly rising levels of anxiety in our teenagers Topics include#physical and emotional symptoms of anxiety, teens and self-harm, anxiety and gut health, sports#concussions and anxiety, natural ways to help your teen cope, and much, much more

Middle School Matters
The 10 Key Skills Kids Need To Thrive In Middle School And Beyond–And How Parents Can Help

Phyllis L Fagell

A guide for parents of middle school students argues that this period of transition from childhood to adolescence is a vital time to teach the skills that will enable children to thrive, and describes how to instill skills in four key areas

Raising Mentally Strong Kids
How To Combine The Power Of Neuroscience With Love And Logic To Grow Confident, Kind, Responsible, And Resilient Children And Young Adults

Daniel Amen, Charles Fay

A #1 New York Times bestselling author and neuropsychiatrist and a child psychologist team up in this groundbreaking book that gives parents practical tools to help them raise mentally healthy kids who are equipped to thrive

Advanced Parenting
Advice For Helping Kids Through Diagnoses, Differences, And Mental Health Challenges

Kelly Fradin

A pediatrician provides empathy, support and evidence-based guidance to help parents manage the emotional stress and navigation of care when their child has medical issues, from ADHD and food allergies to anxiety and developmental delays

When The World Feels Like A Scary Place
Essential Conversations For Anxious Parents & Worried Kids

Abigail Gewirtz

Necessary and urgent, this resource, written by an expert child psychologist, brings solutions to raising engaged and confident kids in spite of the bad things happening in our world today

Help Your Teenager Beat An Eating Disorder

James Lock, Daniel Le Grange

Presents evidence that parents–who have often been told to take a back seat in eating disorder treatment–can and must play a key role in recovery Whether pursuing family-based treatment or other options, parents learn specific, doable steps for monitoring their teen’s eating and exercise habits, managing mealtimes, ending weight related power struggles, and collaborating successfully with health care providers

The Boy Crisis
Why Our Boys Are Struggling And What We Can Do About It

Warren Farrell, John Gray

The best-selling authors of The Myth of Male Power and Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus examine issues challenging today’s young men in the areas of education, mental health, sexuality and leadership, outlining a comprehensive blueprint for how parents, teachers and policymakers can help today’s boys lead purpose-driven lives

The Coddling Of The American Mind
How Good Intentions And Bad Ideas Are Setting Up A Generation For Failure

Greg Lukianoff, Jonathan Haidt

Links rising rates of depression and anxiety on college campuses to today’s culture of safety, social media, and political divides, arguing in favor of traditional wisdom that promotes grit and antifragility

10 Mindful Minutes
Giving Our Children-And Ourselves-The Social And Emotional Skills To Reduce Stress And Anxiety For Healthier, Happier Lives

Goldie Hawn

The actress, best-selling author and founder of the Hawn Foundation provides quick and easy physical and mental exercises that can help children reduce stress, manage emotions and behaviors, develop greater empathy and be happier and more optimistic

Helping Your Anxious Teen
Positive Parenting Strategies To Help Your Teen Beat Anxiety, Stress, And Worry

Sheila Achar Josephs

A psychologist offers advice to parents raising a teen with anxiety issues and describes the best way to support them in overcoming problematic thinking and understand how a parent’s own reactions can unintentionally add fuel to the child’s worries

Resilience Recipe
A Parent’s Guide To Raising Fearless Kids In The Age Of Anxiety

Muniya S Khanna, Philip C Kendall

Written by two pioneering experts in child psychology and anxiety, this book offers an evidence-based plan grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy to help kids build emotional resilience and adaptability, worry less, and thrive—despite the stressors of modern life

Ready Or Not
Preparing Our Kids To Thrive In An Uncertain And Rapidly Changing World

Madeline Levine

Explores how today’s parenting techniques and our myopic education system are failing to prepare children for their certain-to-be-uncertain futures — and how we can reverse course to ensure their lasting adaptability, resilience, health, and happiness

Helping Your Anxious Child
A Step-By-Step Guide For Parents

Ronald Rapee, Ann Wignall, Susan Spence, Vanessa Cobham, Heidi Lyneham

This revised 3rd edition of the classic self-help guide for parents features strategies for helping children overcome anxiety, as well as tips for dealing with behavioral problems, learning difficulties and medical conditions

Girls On The Brink
Helping Our Daughters Thrive In An Era Of Increased Anxiety, Depression, And Social Media

Donna Jackson Nakazawa

Based on cutting-edge neuroscience, an award-winning writer presents 15 strategies for raising emotionally healthy girls in an increasingly difficult environment and how to nurture the parent-child connection through the turmoil of adolescence

Decoding Boys
New Science Behind The Subtle Art Of Raising Sons

Cara Natterson

Citing the less-recognized behavioral tendencies of male adolescence that complicate communications between parents and children, a guide to raising teen boys shares strategic guidelines on effective parenting, managing screen time and understanding the sources of negative behavior

Freedom From Family Dysfunction
A Guide To Healing Families Battling Addiction Or Mental Illness

Kenneth Perlmutter

Freedom from Family Dysfunction provides a healing solution for people caught in the chaos of a dysfunctional family struggling with the addiction or mental illness of one of its members Using vivid portrayals of the pain and powerlessness, readers are provided a step-by-step method to promote health in their systems and heal themselves

When Your Child Has A Chronic Medical Illness
A Guide For The Parenting Journey

Frank J Sileo, Carol S Potter

Written by leading mental health professionals, this warm and accessible parenting book for children with chronic illnesses offers clear, practical guidance for all aspects of the journey

The Stressed Years Of Their Lives
Helping Your Kid Survive And Thrive During Their College Years

B Janet Hibbs, Anthony Rostain

A guide for parents of college-bound students cites the emergence of mood disorders and other mental-health challenges in mid to late adolescence, sharing counsel on typical versus atypical mental health and what behaviors necessitate intervention

Healthy Kids, Happy Kids
An Integrative Pediatrician’s Guide To Whole Child Resilience

Elisa Song

A pediatric functional medicine expert offers a simple, evidence-based roadmap for parents to raise healthy, resilient kids by optimizing their microbiome, empowering them to want to make healthy choices, and effective natural therapies for illness

And Then They Stopped Talking To Me
Making Sense Of Middle School

Judith Warner

Citing the convergence of developmental changes that often render the middle-school years difficult, a compassionate guide draws on student testimonies and professional insights to counsel parents on how to help middle-school children thrive

How To Raise Successful People
Simple Lessons For Radical Results

Esther Wojcicki

The co-author of Moonshots in Education outlines simple, counterintuitive approaches to raising happy, healthy and successful children through parental demonstrations of respectful examples and child-directed activities that facilitate early independence and problem-solving skills

Social Media for All Ages

Logged In And Stressed Out
How Social Media Is Affecting Your Mental Health And What You Can Do About It

Paula Durlofsky

Teaches readers to feel happier and more confident by examining the ways in which social media is negatively affecting their lives and determining how they can develop healthier online habits

The Chaos Machine
The Inside Story Of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds And Our World

Max Fisher

A New York Times investigative reporter and Pulitzer Prize finalist, through research, exclusive interviews and on-the-ground reporting, captures the tangible havoc wreaked upon our minds and world by the titans of the tech industry, telling the inside story of how the social networks fundamentally altered the world

How To Break Up With Your Phone

Catherine Price

A practical hands-on plan for readers looking to create a healthy relationship with their cellphone provides information on identifying goals and priorities and being more mindful with phone use

24/6
The Power Of Unplugging One Day A Week

Tiffany Shlain

The award-winning Internet pioneer and filmmaker chronicles the past, present and future of ideas about time and technology, outlining a strategy for clarity and life-quality based on disconnecting from technology for one restful day of the week

Influenced
The Impact Of Social Media On Our Perception

Brian Boxer Wachler

This book unpacks what happens to our brains and our behaviors each time we click ‘Like’ or even just scroll for new content on social media Through interviews with top influencers, the latest studies, and pop-culture anecdotes, and Dr Boxer Wachler’s own expertise as both a scientist and an influencer himself, he reveals how influence works

The Attention Merchants
The Epic Scramble To Get Inside Our Heads

Tim Wu

Discusses the companies that want to attract and harvest human attention and their relentless attempts to influence people’s consumption and purchases

For Children

Screen Time!
Stay Grounded, Set Boundaries, And Keep Safe Online

Rachel Brian

An instructive comic guide to help children go online and use technology in safe and healthy ways

This press release was produced by the Berlin-Peck Memorial Library. The views expressed here are the author’s own.