The SLP Book Club

This week we're reading Chapter Ten from Free to Learn by Peter Gray, "Trustful Parenting in Our Modern World." In this chapter, Gray explores what it means to practice trustful parenting in today’s world. He describes how trusting children’s natural abilities to learn and grow (rather than controlling or over-directing them) creates space for independence, confidence, and responsibility. We discuss the tension many modern parents feel between societal pressures for achievement and the instinct to give kids freedom. Gray emphasizes that children flourish when adults provide safety, support, and resources while stepping back enough for curiosity and play to guide development. In our conversation, we reflect on how this perspective can shape our work as speech therapists.We're discussing this book on WhatsApp! Click here to join the group!Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.You can check out Adrianne's app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.Find great shirts, sweatshirts, and wall art for SLPs in Laura's Etsy shop, Sunshine Speech Studio.If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!Connect with us on instagram @slp_bookclub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're reading Chapter Nine from Free to Learn by Peter Gray, "Free Age Mixing: A Key Ingredient for Children's Capacity for Self-Education." In this chapter, Gray focuses on the unique value of age-mixed play, where younger and older children learn together. He shows how younger kids benefit from observing and modeling older peers, while older children gain patience, empathy, and leadership skills by guiding the younger ones. We discuss how these interactions create a natural cycle of learning that is often missing in age-segregated classrooms. Gray emphasizes that age-mixed play mirrors real-life communities, making it one of the most powerful settings for both academic and social growth.We're discussing this book on WhatsApp! Click here to join the group!Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.You can check out Adrianne's app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.Find great shirts, sweatshirts, and wall art for SLPs in Laura's Etsy shop, Sunshine Speech Studio.If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!Connect with us on instagram @slp_bookclub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're reading Chapter Eight from Free to Learn by Peter Gray, "The Role of Play in Social and Emotional Development." In this chapter, Gray explains how play is essential for children’s social and emotional development. Through play, kids practice cooperation, negotiation, empathy, and conflict resolution in ways that can’t be taught through direct instruction. We discuss how these experiences help children learn to manage emotions, build friendships, and develop resilience. Gray emphasizes that mixed-age, self-directed play provides especially rich opportunities for growth because younger children learn from older ones and older children practice leadership and care. In our conversation, we connect these ideas to speech therapy, reflecting on how play-based interactions support not only communication skills but also the social-emotional foundations that make learning possible.We're discussing this book on WhatsApp! Click here to join the group!Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.You can check out Adrianne's app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.Find great shirts, sweatshirts, and wall art for SLPs in Laura's Etsy shop, Sunshine Speech Studio.If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!Connect with us on instagram @slp_bookclub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're reading Chapter Seven from Free to Learn by Peter Gray. In this chapter, Gray explores the “playful state of mind,” showing how play supports creativity, flexibility, and resilience in learning. He explains that play isn’t just an activity but a mindset where mistakes become opportunities and curiosity leads the way. We talk about how this state helps children take risks, problem-solve, and develop confidence without the fear of being judged. Gray contrasts this with the rigid, high-pressure atmosphere of traditional schooling, which often suppresses playfulness and intrinsic motivation. In our discussion, we reflect on how speech therapists can intentionally use playful contexts to reduce anxiety, encourage exploration, and make communication practice more meaningful.We're discussing this book on WhatsApp! Click here to join the group!Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.You can check out Adrianne's app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.Find great shirts, sweatshirts, and wall art for SLPs in Laura's Etsy shop, Sunshine Speech Studio.If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!Connect with us on instagram @slp_bookclub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're reading Chapter Six from Free to Learn by Peter Gray, "The Human Educative Instincts." In this chapter, Gray explains that humans are born with powerful instincts that drive learning, including curiosity, play, and sociability. He shows how these natural tendencies have been essential for survival throughout history, helping children acquire the knowledge and skills of their communities. We discuss how traditional schooling often suppresses these instincts, replacing intrinsic motivation with external rewards and punishments. Gray emphasizes that when children are free to follow their interests, these instincts guide them toward deep, meaningful learning. In our conversation, we reflect on how speech therapists can tap into curiosity, play, and social connection to support communication growth in more natural and motivating ways.We're discussing this book on WhatsApp! Click here to join the group!Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.You can check out Adrianne's app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.Find great shirts, sweatshirts, and wall art for SLPs in Laura's Etsy shop, Sunshine Speech Studio.If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!Connect with us on instagram @slp_bookclub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're reading Chapter Five from Free to Learn by Peter Gray, "Lessons from Sudbury Valley: Mother Nature Can Prevail in Modern Times." In this chapter, Gray shares insights from the Sudbury Valley School, a self-directed learning environment where students choose how to spend their time. He describes how, even without traditional classes or grades, children naturally develop critical skills like reading, problem-solving, and collaboration when given freedom and responsibility. We explore how the school’s democratic structure, where students have an equal voice in decision-making, fosters independence and respect. Gray argues that this model shows Mother Nature’s methods of curiosity, play, and social interaction can thrive even in today’s world. In our discussion, we connect these lessons to speech therapy, considering how creating space for choice and self-direction can empower children’s communication and growth.We're discussing this book on WhatsApp! Click here to join the group!Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.You can check out Adrianne's app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.Find great shirts, sweatshirts, and wall art for SLPs in Laura's Etsy shop, Sunshine Speech Studio.If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!Connect with us on instagram @slp_bookclub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're reading Chapter Four from Free to Learn by Peter Gray. In this chapter, Gray lays out what he calls the “seven sins” of our current education system, each one showing how forced schooling undermines children’s natural drives to learn. He critiques practices such as coercing children to work, segregating them by age, judging them through constant testing, and replacing curiosity with fear of failure. We talk about how these systemic issues can stifle creativity, motivation, and self-confidence in ways that affect children far beyond the classroom. Gray emphasizes that these “sins” are not flaws in individual teachers but are baked into the structure of the system itself. In our discussion, we reflect on how these themes connect to speech therapy, highlighting the importance of honoring children’s voices, autonomy, and unique learning paths.We're discussing this book on WhatsApp! Click here to join the group!Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.You can check out Adrianne's new app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.Find great shirts, sweatshirts, and wall art for SLPs in Laura's Etsy shop, Sunshine Speech Studio.If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!Connect with us on instagram @slp_bookclub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're reading Chapter Three from Free to Learn by Peter Gray, "Why Schools Are What They Are: A Brief History of Education." In this chapter, Gray traces the history of formal education and explains how schools developed to meet the needs of agricultural and industrial societies rather than children’s natural ways of learning. He shows how early schools emphasized obedience, memorization, and conformity, shaping students into disciplined workers rather than independent thinkers. We discuss how this model has carried into modern education, often clashing with what we know about play, curiosity, and intrinsic motivation. Gray highlights that many of today’s struggles in education stem from this outdated framework. In our conversation, we reflect on how understanding this history can help us reimagine learning environments that better support children’s growth and communication.We're discussing this book on WhatsApp! Click here to join the group!Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.You can check out Adrianne's new app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.Find great shirts, sweatshirts, and wall art for SLPs in Laura's Etsy shop, Sunshine Speech Studio.If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!Connect with us on instagram @slp_bookclub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're reading Chapter Two from Free to Learn by Peter Gray, "The Play-Filled Lives of Hunter-Gatherer Children." In this chapter, Peter Gray describes the play-filled lives of hunter gatherer children, using the story of Kwi, an eleven-year-old Ju/’hoansi boy from the Kalahari, to illustrate his points. In these societies, children grow up without formal schooling and instead learn through self-directed play, exploration, and imitation of adult activities. They spend their days engaged in games and creative projects that mirror hunting, tool-making, building, music, and dance, naturally developing the skills they will need in adulthood. Mixed-age play groups help them learn cooperation, empathy, negotiation, and self-control, while the culture as a whole values autonomy, sharing, and equality. Gray suggests that modern education could take inspiration from this model by creating more opportunities for children to learn through play and personal choice rather than through rigid, adult-led instruction.We'll be discussing this book on WhatsApp! Click here to join the group.Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.You can check out Adrianne's new app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.Find great shirts, sweatshirts, and wall art for SLPs in Laura's Etsy shop, Sunshine Speech Studio.If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!Connect with us on instagram @slp_bookclub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New book alert! For the next couple months, we're reading Free to Learn by Peter Gray. We kick off this week with the Prologue and Chapter One. In the Prologue, Gray introduces his concern that modern schooling suppresses children's natural curiosity, playfulness, and drive to learn. He explains that his perspective shifted dramatically after witnessing how his own son thrived in a self-directed learning environment. In chapter one, "What Have We Done to Childhood?," Gray argues that modern society has drastically reduced children's freedom to play, explore, and pursue their own interests. He explains that increased schooling, adult control, and structured activities have led to a rise in anxiety, depression, and a decline in creativity and independence among children. Gray calls for a reevaluation of how we treat childhood, urging a return to more self-directed, play-based learning.We'll be discussing this book on WhatsApp! Click here to join the group.Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.You can check out Adrianne's new app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.Find great shirts, sweatshirts, and wall art for SLPs in Laura's Etsy shop, Sunshine Speech Studio.If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!Connect with us on instagram @slp_bookclub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're wrapping up The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. In Chapter 12, titled "What Parents Can Do Now," Haidt contrasts the controlling "carpenter" parenting approach with a "gardener" mindset that fosters children’s natural development through a nurturing environment. For young children (ages 0-5), he recommends prioritizing interactive real-world play with diverse age groups and limiting screen time, favoring interactive video calls over passive viewing. Haidt advocates for delaying smartphone access until high school and social media until age 16 to protect adolescents from the mental health risks associated with a phone-based childhood. He emphasizes collective action, encouraging parents to coordinate with others to establish norms that promote independence, free play, and real-world experiences over digital engagement. In the conclusion, Haidt encourages us to "Speak Up" and "Link Up." He urges individuals to advocate for policies and cultural shifts that reduce the harmful impact of smartphones and social media on youth mental health. "Link Up" emphasizes collective action, encouraging parents, educators, and communities to collaborate in creating tech-free spaces and promoting real-world engagement to foster healthier childhoods.If you want to join the discussion, please click here to join our online book club community!Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.You can check out Adrianne's new app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!Join the discussion on instagram @slp_bookclub.Find us on TikTok @theslpbookclub.A lot of the resources mentioned in the podcast are free to download in the Laura G SLP store on TPT, find them here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're covering chapter 11 from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, "What Schools Can Do Now." In this chapter, Haidt outlines actionable steps schools can take to address the mental health crisis among youth caused by the shift to a phone-based childhood. He strongly advocates for phone-free schools, recommending the use of phone lockers to eliminate distractions and foster face-to-face social engagement, which is critical for developing communication skills. Haidt also emphasizes increasing opportunities for free, unsupervised play, suggesting longer recesses and "play clubs" with mixed-age groups to promote resilience and social skills. These reforms aim to counteract the negative effects of excessive screen time, such as attention fragmentation and social deprivation, which impair students’ mental health and learning. By creating environments that prioritize real-world interaction, schools can help restore a healthier, play-based childhood.If you want to join the discussion, please click here to join our online book club community!Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.You can check out Adrianne's new app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!Join the discussion on instagram @slp_bookclub.Find us on TikTok @theslpbookclub.A lot of the resources mentioned in the podcast are free to download in the Laura G SLP store on TPT, find them here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're covering chapters nine and ten from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. In chapter nine, "Preparing for Collective Action," Haidt emphasizes the urgent need for societal cooperation to address the mental health crisis caused by the phone-based childhood. He proposes four types of collective responses: voluntary coordination, shifting social norms, technological solutions, and legislative measures, to delay smartphone and social media access, fostering healthier childhoods through community-driven efforts. In chapter ten, "What Governments and Tech Companies Can Do Now," Haidt outlines actionable steps for governments and tech companies to mitigate the mental health crisis fueled by unrestricted smartphone and social media use among youth. He advocates for legislative measures like raising the age of internet adulthood to 16, enforcing age verification, and mandating tech companies to enhance safety features to protect children from harmful content and addictive design. Haidt also urges tech companies to proactively redesign platforms to reduce addictive features, limit algorithmic amplification of harmful content, and support parental controls. He stresses the importance of coordinated policy efforts and corporate responsibility to create a safer digital environment, complementing community and parental initiatives.If you want to join the discussion, please click here to join our online book club community!Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.You can check out Adrianne's new app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!Join the discussion on instagram @slp_bookclub.Find us on TikTok @theslpbookclub.A lot of the resources mentioned in the podcast are free to download in the Laura G SLP store on TPT, find them here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're covering chapter eight, "Spiritual Elevation and Degradation" from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. In this chapter, Haidt explores how the decline of spiritual and communal practices has impacted the mental health of young people in the digital age. He argues that humans have a natural inclination toward spiritual experiences, which historically provided meaning, connection, and transcendence through shared rituals and beliefs. However, the rise of technology, particularly smartphones and social media, has replaced these uplifting experiences with shallow, individualistic, and often degrading digital interactions. Haidt suggests that this shift has left Generation Z more disconnected, anxious, and spiritually unmoored, as virtual environments fail to fulfill the human need for awe, purpose, and community. He emphasizes the importance of fostering real-world spiritual practices, such as mindfulness, religious engagement, or nature-based experiences, to counteract the negative effects of digital overload. The chapter calls for a cultural reclamation of sacred, embodied experiences to restore mental and emotional well-being in young people.If you want to join the discussion, please click here to join our online book club community!Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.You can check out Adrianne's new app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!Join the discussion on instagram @slp_bookclub.Find us on TikTok @theslpbookclub.A lot of the resources mentioned in the podcast are free to download in the Laura G SLP store on TPT, find them here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're covering chapter seven, "What is Happening to Boys?" from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. In this chapter, Haidt examines the mental health crisis affecting boys, driven by the shift to a phone-based childhood. Since the early 2010s, boys have experienced rising depression and anxiety, though less severely than girls, alongside a long-term decline in school engagement and achievement. The accessibility of video games and pornography has pulled many boys into virtual worlds, reducing real-world social interactions and contributing to loneliness and disconnection. For a subset of boys, excessive gaming leads to addiction, harming mental and physical health and straining family relationships. Haidt notes that boys’ retreat into digital spaces, coupled with overprotective parenting and reduced unsupervised play, hinders their development of resilience and social skills. This "Great Rewiring" of childhood has left many boys at risk of "failure to launch," with some becoming young adults not engaged in education, employment, or training.If you want to join the discussion, please click here to join our online book club community!Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.You can check out Adrianne's new app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!Join the discussion on instagram @slp_bookclub.Find us on TikTok @theslpbookclub.A lot of the resources mentioned in the podcast are free to download in the Laura G SLP store on TPT, find them here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're covering chapter six from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, "Why Social Media Harms Girls More." In this chapter, Jonathan Haidt explores the disproportionate negative impact of social media on girls' mental health. He argues that girls are more vulnerable to social media's effects due to their heightened sensitivity to social comparison and relational aggression. The chapter highlights how platforms amplify insecurities through curated images and idealized lifestyles, leading to increased anxiety, depression, and body image issues. Haidt cites research showing that girls who spend more time on social media report lower self-esteem and higher rates of self-harm. He emphasizes the need for targeted interventions to mitigate these harms, such as limiting social media use and fostering real-world connections.If you want to join the discussion, please click here to join our online book club community!Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.You can check out Adrianne's new app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!Join the discussion on instagram @slp_bookclub.Find us on TikTok @theslpbookclub.A lot of the resources mentioned in the podcast are free to download in the Laura G SLP store on TPT, find them here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're covering chapter five from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, "The Four Foundational Harms." In this chapter, Jonathan Haidt outlines four foundational harms of the phone-based childhood: social deprivation, sleep deprivation, attention fragmentation, and addiction. He argues that excessive smartphone use reduces face-to-face interactions, critical for social development, leading to increased loneliness and weakened relationships. Sleep deprivation, caused by late-night screen time, contributes to anxiety, irritability, and impaired cognitive function, particularly in teens. Attention fragmentation results from constant notifications and multitasking, diminishing focus and deep engagement with tasks. Lastly, Haidt describes addiction to smartphones and social media, driven by dopamine-fueled apps, which disrupts healthy development and well-being. These harms collectively exacerbate the mental health crisis among adolescents, with evidence showing a sharp rise in anxiety, depression, and self-harm since the widespread adoption of smartphones around 2010.If you want to join the discussion, please click here to join our online book club community!Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.You can check out Adrianne's new app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!Join the discussion on instagram @slp_bookclub.Find us on TikTok @theslpbookclub.A lot of the resources mentioned in the podcast are free to download in the Laura G SLP store on TPT, find them here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're covering chapter four from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, "Puberty and the Blocked Transition to Adulthood." This chapter explores how the shift to a phone-based childhood disrupts the critical developmental transitions of puberty, delaying adolescents' progression toward adulthood. Haidt argues that the over-reliance on smartphones and social media reduces real-world experiences, limiting opportunities for risk-taking, independence, and identity formation essential during puberty. Haidt highlights how digital immersion replaces physical and social activities, leading to a "blocked transition" where teens remain in a prolonged state of dependency rather than developing adult-like responsibilities. He points to data showing declines in milestones like getting a driver’s license or entering the workforce, with 60% fewer teens working part-time jobs compared to previous generations. The chapter also discusses how social media’s curated environments amplify self-consciousness and social comparison, particularly for girls, exacerbating anxiety and hindering self-esteem development. Haidt emphasizes that this rewiring of adolescence by technology creates a generation less equipped for the challenges of adulthood.If you want to join the discussion, please click here to join our online book club community!Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.You can check out Adrianne's new app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!Join the discussion on instagram @slp_bookclub.Find us on TikTok @theslpbookclub.A lot of the resources mentioned in the podcast are free to download in the Laura G SLP store on TPT, find them here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're covering chapter three from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, "The Great Rewiring: How Childhood Changed, 2010–2015." This chapter examines the rapid shift from play-based to phone-based childhoods during the early 2010s, which Haidt calls the "Great Rewiring." He argues that the widespread adoption of smartphones and social media fundamentally altered how children socialize, learn, and develop, leading to increased mental health issues. The chapter highlights how this period saw a decline in free play and face-to-face interactions, replaced by screen time that disrupted critical developmental processes like synaptic pruning, essential for healthy brain development. Haidt identifies three key instincts (free play, attunement, and social learning) that are undermined by excessive device use, contributing to social deprivation and emotional challenges. He supports this with data showing a surge in anxiety and depression among Gen Z, particularly as smartphone ownership became nearly universal by 2016. The chapter sets the stage for exploring specific harms to boys and girls in later sections, emphasizing the loss of real-world experiencesIf you want to join the discussion, please click here to join our online book club community!Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.You can check out Adrianne's new app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!Join the discussion on instagram @slp_bookclub.Find us on TikTok @theslpbookclub.A lot of the resources mentioned in the podcast are free to download in the Laura G SLP store on TPT, find them here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're covering chapter two from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. This chapter is titled "What Children Need to Do in Childhood," and in it, Haidt explores the essential developmental needs of children, emphasizing the critical role of play in fostering resilience and social skills. He argues that unstructured, independent play allows children to test limits, navigate risks, and build emotional and social competence, which are vital for healthy development. Haidt highlights how the shift from a play-based to a phone-based childhood has disrupted these processes, leaving children less equipped to handle adversity. He draws on research to show that mammals, including humans, require play to wire their brains for adulthood, and its absence can lead to increased anxiety and weaker social bonds. The chapter sets the stage for understanding how modern childhood, dominated by screens, undermines these foundational experiences.If you want to join the discussion, please click here to join our online book club community!Head to patreon.com/theslpbookclub/membership to become an SLP Book Club supporter! You'll get episodes early and ad-free and a resource from Laura's TPT store every month.You can check out Adrianne's new app, Say Hello, by going to sayhellospeech.com/say-hello-app.View the app in the Apple App Store here and on Google Play here.If you love what we're doing at the SLP Book Club, please consider leaving us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen. This is the best way to support the podcast and help other SLPs and educators find us!Join the discussion on instagram @slp_bookclub.Find us on TikTok @theslpbookclub.A lot of the resources mentioned in the podcast are free to download in the Laura G SLP store on TPT, find them here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.