'Anxious Generation' author cautions parents about smartphones
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt on how smartphones and social media has negatively impacted the mental health of teenagers and how this can be solved.
Concerns over the negative effects of social media have reached a critical point. Headlines now warn "how cellphones are killing our kids" and that smartphones are a "pocket full of poison."
Anxiety and depression are on the rise. The surgeon general has proposed adding warning labels to social media apps, and states are restricting and even banning some platforms like TikTok.
The ancient Jewish holiday of Sukkot began Wednesday evening and is observed for a week. It offers a timely antidote to the global problems of loneliness, depression and materialism.
Social media sends the harmful message that superficial pursuits – such as material acquisition and projecting the "perfect life" – lead to happiness. (Marina Demidiuk/iStock)
Some Christian denominations observe it since Jesus, in John 7, celebrated it, and some believe it even inspired Thanksgiving, which emphasizes gratitude for the harvest season, connection with nature, the divine, and finding joy in life’s simple, meaningful moments.
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The core issue isn’t just that social media is shortening our attention spans or distracting us from meaningful human connection. It’s sending the harmful message that superficial pursuits – such as material acquisition and projecting the "perfect life" – lead to happiness.
Sukkot teaches that happiness comes from connecting with nature, God, and spending time outdoors with family. The holiday is observed by building and dwelling in a temporary, simple structure called a sukkah, typically made with a roof of palm branches or bamboo so sparse that the stars are visible through it.
During Sukkot, several rituals are performed, including reciting blessings while holding four specific plants: a palm, willow, myrtle and a citrus fruit called an etrog. These plants symbolize different human personalities, the harvest cycle, and the sukkot (huts) commemorate the shelters used by the Israelites during their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness around 1300 BCE, before entering the Promised Land.
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Sukkot is uniquely referred to in the Torah as the "holiday of joy." Even Passover, which commemorates freedom from slavery, isn’t called the "festival of joy" – because freedom alone isn’t enough. It’s what we do with our freedom that determines our sense of meaning and happiness.
The lesson of Sukkot is that life’s true joys come from simple things: spending time outdoors, connecting with nature, praying, and being with family and friends.
This message is the opposite of what social media promotes. Sukkot teaches that true joy doesn’t come from what we display to the world, but from appreciating the present moment, nurturing real relationships, and embracing the fragile beauty of our temporary shelters.
It reminds us that material security is fleeting, as we’ve seen with the destruction caused by recent hurricanes Helene and Milton. Our permanent homes can collapse in an instant. True comfort comes not from resisting nature’s power, but from accepting it.
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Sukkot strips away the illusion of control that social media fosters. By stepping outside our comfortable homes and into temporary huts, we acknowledge our vulnerability.
If ancient wisdom isn’t convincing enough, modern science affirms that spending time outdoors and detaching from materialism is highly beneficial for mental and physical health. Time in nature significantly reduces stress and improves well-being.
My most cherished childhood memories revolve around Sukkot. I remember going outside, cutting palm branches for the roof of our sukkah, spending time in nature, and gazing at the stars. It instilled a deep sense of awe and wonder.
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My father has since passed away, but Sukkot reminds me that real security and joy come not from wealth or status, but from faith, family, nature and community. We were so committed to spending time in the sukkah that my dad – ironically – once brought a TV inside to watch the World Series, and insisted we sleep there overnight.
We would sing a Yiddish hymn about the symbolic resilience of the little sukkah. While ancient edifices like the Roman Colosseum or the Pantheon now stand as mere tourist attractions, the humble sukkah and the spirit of the Jewish people endure.
The joy of a people who have survived countless storms of persecution – including the recent rise in antisemitism following the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust – remains intact.
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Sukkot, with its emphasis on humility and vulnerability, invites everyone – Jewish or not – to reflect on how we can live more authentically in a world that encourages self-promotion and digital competition.
The holiday’s ancient wisdom speaks directly to our modern burnout, offering a spiritual "unplug" that so many desperately need.
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