Jeff's Book Review: The Anxious Generation

by Jeff Wells on October 29, 2024

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt is so important that I read it twice in the summer of 2024. First I listened, then I read a hard cover copy with a pen.

Jonathan Haidt is a highly regarded professor at NYU who argues for the damage of screens, social media and smart phones to our children. There was a worldwide surge of anxiety and depression in adolescents after 2010. He argues, with scholarly evidence, that this resulted from the widespread availability of the smart phone and social media.

I would love to see every person in our church read this book. Especially every parent. You can find my more detailed summary here.

Rating: 5.0

About the Author

Jeff Wells

Jeff has been married to his wife Gayle over 40 years. They have three grown children – Sarah, Callie and John Paul. Sarah is married to Michael Grenz, and they have three children: Ryanne Elizabeth, Barrett Michael, and Evelyn May. Callie is married to Paul Thomas, and they have two daughters, Wren Felicity and Daisy Shafer, and a son, Archie Wells. John Paul is married to Michelle, and they have a son, Wallace Dutch, and a daughter, Collins Jane, and they live in Austin, where they both work in business.

Jeff is the founding pastor of WoodsEdge Community Church in Spring, Texas. He and Gayle founded WoodsEdge along with a handful of people in November 1993. Jeff loves pastoring, especially leading, preaching, and mentoring young pastors. He is also the author of five books: The Great Verses (2015), Breaking Free of OCD (2016), and Love: Revealing the Heart of God (2018), Unhurried Time With God (2019), Soul on Fire: The Privilege of Preaching (2019).

Jeff’s two favorite hobbies have been reading and running, and he and Gayle love hiking together, especially when they are away from the Texas heat!

Jeff's Favorite Books & Book Reviews