Ethics Center Book Club: The Anxious Generation

The Ethics Center is hosting a book club on The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt. In this book, the renowned psychologist investigates the consequences of smartphone and social media use for the mental health of kids and adolescents. Do we cheat children from gaining real-world experience by allowing them to use smartphones and social media? Can and should we protect children from harmful influences in digital and online spaces? This book club provides an opportunity to explore these and other questions in advance of Haidt’s virtual visit to WMU at 5 p.m. on March 12. 

The discussion leader will be Margaret von Steinen, WMU Government Relations (retired) and former Project Manager for WMU We Talk. Meetings will be at noon Tuesdays, Feb. 4, 11, 18 and 25 in Room 3120 of Sangren Hall. Visitor parking is available in lots 68 and 69. The first 10 sign-ups receive a free book.

This book is part of the A Life Well Lived – Kalamazoo series in collaboration with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at WMU and the Kalamazoo Lyceum.