GENERATION Z of Anxiety In 2010, something changed. It was not sudden, nor was it instantly clear. But over the years, that change became impossible to miss. The incidence of anxiety among teenagers started to increase. Depression followed. By 2015, adolescent mental health had plummeted, and those watching the data were feeling confounded. What had happened? Some cited academic pressure. Others pointed to helicopter parenting or economic anxiety. But the answer, as it turned out, had been sitting quietly in the hands of almost every teenager in the developed world. The smartphone, and, more directly, the emergence of social media, had started a new age—one that had changed how young people engaged with the world from the ground up. For generations, the teenage years were years of exploration. It was disorderly, haphazard, and comprised much trial and error. Teenagers messed up, looked foolish, and learned from it. But now something about the new digital landscape had transformed this process. Grab a copy of this book now!
