They are “out of orbit”: why should we be concerned about the current generation?

Authors

  • Caroline Kalil Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ)
  • Ana Cléa Candido da Silva Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ)
  • Beatriz de Lima Correia Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ)
  • Ediellen Naus Queiroz Machado Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ)
  • Isadora Teresa Paulo de Souza Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ)
  • Larissa Gonçalves Gama Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ)
  • Lia Beatriz Teixeira Torraca Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ)
  • Edna Lúcia Tinoco Ponciano Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22456/2238-152X.151744

Abstract

Are we leaving our children in a world as strange as Mars? In The Anxious Generation (2024), Jonathan
Haidt reveals how, since 2010, childhood play has been replaced by childhood on the phone, triggering
a mental health crisis among young people. This “Great Rewiring” has substituted real relationships
with virtual connections, where children are overprotected in the physical world but vulnerable in the
digital one, resulting in social deprivation, sleep deprivation, fragmented attention, and addiction. Haidt
advocates bold measures to face this crisis, always based on data, concern, and responsibility. He proposes
limiting early smartphone use, regulating social media, valuing free play, encouraging autonomy, and
restoring contact with nature. An urgent warning not only for specialists but also for parents and educators.

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Published

2026-09-02

How to Cite

Kalil, C., Candido da Silva, A. C., de Lima Correia, B., Naus Queiroz Machado, E., Teresa Paulo de Souza, I., Gonçalves Gama, L., … Lúcia Tinoco Ponciano, E. (2026). They are “out of orbit”: why should we be concerned about the current generation?. Revista Polis E Psique, 16, e026019. https://doi.org/10.22456/2238-152X.151744

Issue

Vol. 16 (2026): Fluxo contínuo

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Resenhas

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