Recent Reads: The Amazing Generation: Your Guide to Fun and Freedom in a Screen-Filled World by Jonathan Haidt

Source: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review. 

The Amazing Generation: Your Guide to Fun and Freedom in a Screen-Filled World by Jonathan Haidt
Publisher: Rocky Pond Books
Publication Date: December 30, 2025

 

Format: Hardback


Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Inspired by The Anxious Generation, this new book for kids and tweens is a comprehensive guide for living a happy and exciting life that isn’t hijacked by a smartphone.

Whether or not kids already have smartphones or social media accounts, this guide is packed with surprising facts, a graphic novel, interactive challenges, secrets that tech leaders don’t want kids to know, and real-life anecdotes from young adults who regret getting smartphones at a young age and want to help the next generation avoid making the same mistakes.

But this isn’t just a book about what not to do. It’s a bold, optimistic, and practical guide to growing into your most authentic, confident, and adventurous self. Readers won’t just discover how to avoid becoming the next Anxious Generation. They’ll learn how to become amazing.

Review: 

This was an informative and engaging read that tackles smartphone and social media use in a way that feels both realistic and fantastical enough to keep younger readers interested. I thought the book did a great job explaining what social media and constant phone use can do to the brain, but in language that kids and t/weens can actually understand without feeling overwhelmed.

One of the strongest parts of the book was how practical the advice felt. Rather than simply telling kids that phones are “bad,” it focuses on helping them build confidence, independence, and healthier habits. The tone walks a good line between cautionary and empowering, but there are definitely some times where it comes off a bit preachy as well (at least that is how it felt to me).

The graphic novel elements were also a lot of fun and helped break up the more informational sections. I liked the storyline, which focused on kids feeling left out. I think it will resonate with readers on both sides: kids who already have phones and social media, and kids who don’t. It encourages empathy while also showing how complicated these experiences can feel at that age.

What stood out most to me was that the message didn’t just feel relevant for kids. Even as an adult, it made me reflect on my own phone habits, which feels like a strong sign that the book’s ideas are meaningful and well presented overall.