The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness

by Jonathan Haidt

Human children are wired to connect, in part by tuning and synchronizing their movements and emotions with others. Even before they can control their arms and legs, they engage adults in games of turn taking and shared emotion. Children respond with the most heart-opening peals of laughter when adults—who are themselves built to respond to cuteness with caretaking[14]—do whatever they can to make the baby laugh. This creates a mutually reinforcing feedback loop. Infants in the first weeks of life have enough muscular control to mimic a few facial expressions, and the many rounds of mutual gazing and face making are important means of fostering attachment between parents and children.