The subtitle expresses the main thesis of the book: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood--and What That Means for the Rest of Us. This book presents a thorough analysis of generation Z, or, as the author Jean M. Twenge calls it, “iGen”. iGen has grown up with the internet and widespread use of smartphones and Twenge explores how this defines the generation, and distinguishes it from previous generations.
Being a university professor herself, Twenge supports her points with statistics, surveys, graphs, etc. But she doesn’t only describe generation Z, she also identifies causes for their salient traits, making this book very useful for parents, teachers, employers, and anyone else who interacts with this generation. Perhaps the strongest feature of this book is her study of the effects of technology on the mental health of this generation. Twenge concludes with some concrete actions that can be taken for the benefit of generation Z, ending the book on a hopeful note.
The book as a whole can be read by anyone. However, some of chapters of the book, specifically those treating sex and gender, are more suited for mature readers.
Eva McGuire, 2019