The Anxious Generation
Four norms. One neighborhood Pod.
Jonathan Haidt calls these collective-action problems — they're easier when families move together. These four norms are our starting point for conversation, not a checklist.
- 01
No smartphones before high school
A basic phone is enough for calls and texts. The pocket supercomputer can wait.
Smartphones are engineered for engagement, and they routinely win out over sleep, focus, and in-person friendships.
Delaying until 9th grade gives kids time to build attention, resilience, and offline relationships first.
- 02
No social media before 16
Protect the years when identity, sleep, and self-worth are still forming.
Middle-school brains are especially sensitive to peer feedback, which social platforms amplify and monetize.
Waiting until 16 gives kids room to develop a sense of self before an algorithm shapes it for them.
- 03
Phone-free schools
Put phones away bell-to-bell so kids can learn, look up, and talk to each other.
Research shows even a silent phone in a pocket measurably reduces focus and increases anxiety.
Phone-free school days restore attention in class and the everyday social interactions kids need to develop.
- 04
More independence, free play & responsibility
Unstructured, unsupervised play is how kids build courage, judgment, and friendship.
Resilience is built through real-world experience: navigating small risks, resolving conflicts, and making decisions independently.
Our Pod gatherings are designed to make that kind of childhood feel normal again in our neighborhood.
Ready to walk this path together?
The easiest way in is an afternoon outdoors. Come once, meet the Pod, decide what fits your family.