“I’m not saying that 11-year-olds should be kept off the internet. I’m saying that the Great Rewiring of Childhood, in which the phone-based childhood replaced the play-based childhood, is the major cause of the international epidemic of adolescent mental illness.”
Jonathan Haidt, “The Anxious Generation.” [1]
Haidt’s message is scary — an international epidemic of adolescent mental illness! The response to “The Anxious Generation” has been swift. Schools are restricting student phone use around the globe, with typically no access during elementary and middle school, and limited access in high school. The swift response demonstrates a near-universal, bipartisan concern for our children’s mental health. Although we’ve slowed the bleeding, we haven’t solved the problems of isolation and anxiety of a phone-based childhood.
As Haidt writes, “the problem is not only about a phone-based childhood, but the lack of a play-based childhood that the phone replaced. The play-based childhood was a prevalent ethos prior to the mid-1980s, when kids spent much of their time outside the house, in neighborhoods, on sidewalks, in parks, in nature, and around other kids with minimal adult supervision. The media-fueled awareness of child abductions and the rise of a car-based culture in the 80s are two key reasons for the change.
As kids spent more time at home, or being driven by adults to supervised activities, they found less opportunity to design their own play, encounter and resolve problems with other kids, and respond to the unexpected. In short, their social and emotional skills, level of autonomy and mastery, and problem-solving skills have been on the decline. These are problems that involve family systems, technology, cultural beliefs about crime and safety and neighborhood connections — elements that a school district, a school, or an individual teacher have minimal control over.
So what if we tackle the problem from a place that an individual teacher can control, at the level of the classroom? How can a classroom teacher address the epidemic of adolescent mental illness, which falls within the core issues identified in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. [2] including love and belonging, autonomy, mastery and self actualization?
This article focuses on what teachers and space designers can do to reverse the crisis in anxiety, beginning in the classroom. Neither policy changes nor increased budget allocations are needed to begin, rather, a single teacher, with the will to do better, and a little encouragement from a principal or assistant principal, is all that’s needed to move the classroom ethos from one of anxiety to an ethos of belonging, curiosity, and even joy.
As kids spent more time at home, or being driven by adults to supervised activities, they found less opportunity to design their own play, encounter and resolve problems with other kids, and respond to the unexpected.
Day 1: Setting the Stage: A Classroom Transformation
Theo is a seventh grader, and he hates school. Every morning he drags himself into the classroom, counting the hours until he can go home. School feels like a prison to him — no friends, no fun, just endless classes that seem disconnected from his world. He’d much rather be playing video games in his room or watching TV with his dog curled up next to him.
He struggles to focus on reading, math is a mystery to him, and social studies feels like it’s happening in another universe. His desk is clustered with three others: two chatty girls who barely acknowledge him, and a bored boy who slouches in his chair and avoids eye contact with Theo. It’s noisy and chaotic, with two special needs kids often disrupting the class with sudden outbursts. Theo feels invisible and disconnected.
His teacher, Mary Elena, tries hard to engage all the students. She smiles a lot and constantly redirects their attention back to the lesson. But half the class is checked out—some kids are fidgeting, others staring blankly. It’s like they’re all stuck in their own little worlds, and this classroom is the last place they want to be.
By the second week of school, Mary Elena decides to try switching up the environment–to try something different. Something that will help connect kids with each other, get them moving, and help them learn to learn and problem-solve together.
“We’re going to change things up,” she announces on day 1 of week 2. “Today, we’re rearranging the furniture. All the tables will go to the edges of the room, and we’ll set the chairs in a big circle. We’re going to talk — really talk — about what matters to us.”
The students look at each other, confused. What’s she talking about? They’re supposed to be doing math right now. But slowly, they get up, moving the tables and chairs, following Mary Elena’s directions.
“Let’s each share two things that are important to us,” she says when they’re all seated in the circle. “Then, we’ll brainstorm how we like to learn — where, when, and how. And we’ll figure out what this classroom should look like.”
Theo fidgets in his chair, but when it’s his turn, he mumbles something about liking video games and wishing school was more fun. His classmates are hesitant too, but they start to open up, talking about their interests and frustrations. Students pass round a microphone as they talk, and Mary Elena uses an AI-generative voice-to-text app to take notes and capture their ideas on a large, interactive LED screen in the background.
Day 2: Building Connections Among Students
The next day, Mary Elena introduces a simple matrix on an LED screen. On one side are traditional curriculum areas, including Science, Math, Art & Music, and Physical Education. On the other side are student interests, including video games, football, Anime and Harry Potter. She draws connections between the two sides, showing Theo how Science and Art play key roles in game design.
This personalized approach resonates with other students, as they see the possibilities in aligning their interests with the curriculum. Cole, a sometimes troublemaker, opens up about his love for basketball and the football-themed TV show All American. Monica, who struggles with dyslexia, and often has trouble following the work, is excited to talk about Harry Potter. And Erin, a gifted but bored student, who often fantasizes about going to a private college preparatory school, is excited to talk about being a Swifty. The classroom begins to feel like a community.
*”Anime,” derived from the English word “animation,” refers to Japanese animated works and has become a global phenomenon, celebrated for its unique art styles and diverse storytelling.
Day 3: Personalized and Collaborative Learning
By the third day, desks are re-clustered, based on shared interests. Using an AI tool, Mary Elena creates project-based learning plans tailored to each group. Students collaborate on assignments that align with their passions, such as robotics, creative writing, and sports analytics. Inspired by resources like Fielding International’s design patterns for creative learning environments [3], the class experiments with flexible setups, such as standing desks, personal and collaborative zones, and outdoor learning spaces.
The Ripple Effect: Parents and Community
At home, Theo’s parents notice a change. Initially, Theo describes school as “weird,” recounting activities like moving furniture and discussing interests. By the third day, his tone shifts: “Pretty good,” he says. “We did math, but I was sitting in a comfy chair by the window. I think I made a new friend named Cole.” Over time, Theo’s curiosity grows, and for the first time, he looks forward to school.
Mary Elena, once ready to quit, feels rejuvenated. The experiment has transformed her classroom into a dynamic space where students are engaged, curious, and connected. She begins to imagine even greater possibilities that involve relationships and resources beyond her classroom, like opening up the classroom to more natural light, new furniture, and extending the space to the hallway and outdoor learning areas.
Closing Thoughts
Reimagining the classroom doesn’t require a big budget, rather, inspiration, knowledge, and intentionality are key. As Mary Elena’s story shows, the power of an individual with an open mind about learning practices, intentionally linking the passions of individuals to core learning principles, and using the physical environment as another ‘teaching tool’ to be used by all, can transform how students feel and how they learn. By aligning holistic learning practices with spaces that are flexible and personalized, we can lead an anxious generation to find a greater sense of belonging, autonomy, and joy in learning.
To participate in the development of the ClassroomRenewal app, which will be free to educators around the world, or serve as a Beta tester, sign up at designemerging.ai/contact
REFERENCES:
- The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt | 2024
- Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs
- Design Patterns for Creative Learning Environment, Fielding International, fieldingintl.com/design-patterns