Advertising has always wielded an extraordinary ability to influence perceptions, shape desires, and even create societal norms. But in an age where mental health among young people is in crisis—a phenomenon thoroughly explored in Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness—advertisers must confront their role in either deepening this crisis or being part of the solution.
Haidt’s analysis reveals a stark reality: the widespread adoption of smartphones, social media, and addictive online gaming has “rewired” childhood. This seismic shift, which he dubs “The Great Rewiring of Childhood,” has replaced outdoor play and face-to-face interactions with screen time, leaving children increasingly isolated, vulnerable, and mentally fragile. These conditions provide fertile ground for advertising to both exacerbate and potentially alleviate mental health struggles.
Haidt’s research underscores how smartphones and social media, the primary platforms for modern advertising, fuel harmful social comparisons. Teens—particularly girls—are disproportionately affected. The constant stream of curated perfection, from influencers to brand campaigns, reinforces unattainable ideals and intensifies feelings of inadequacy. Studies cited in The Anxious Generation reveal that teenage girls who spend significant time on social media are three times more likely to develop depression. The parallels between these findings and the tactics many advertisers employ are difficult to ignore.
Advertising often preys on these vulnerabilities. Fear-of-missing-out (FOMO) strategies, the glorification of unattainable lifestyles, and the bombardment of “limited-time offers” and the Yolo lifestyle, along with many influencers tap into the very insecurities Haidt identifies as key drivers of teenage mental illness. The constant stream of curated perfection, from influencers to brand campaigns, reinforces unattainable ideals and intensifies feelings of inadequacy. Campaigns designed to exploit anxieties about beauty, success, or social standing can inadvertently (or intentionally) reinforce the “self-esteem crushing vortex” of social media.
Haidt notes that adolescence is a critical stage of emotional and social development. During this period, constant exposure to shallow online interactions and relentless social comparison—both exacerbated by advertising—can be particularly damaging. Smartphones, as Haidt describes, are “experience blockers,” displacing enriching activities and in-person connections with digital engagement that advertisers fuel with precision targeting.
Despite its complicity, advertising also holds tremendous potential to address and mitigate the very mental health challenges it has helped perpetuate. Haidt emphasizes the need for systemic solutions, including reducing screen time and creating healthier developmental environments. Advertisers can align with these goals by promoting messages that empower, uplift, and foster genuine connection.
Campaigns such as Dove’s “Real Beauty” and initiatives like the Headspace demonstrate how advertising can counteract harmful cultural norms. By challenging narrow standards of beauty or promoting mental wellness, these campaigns resonate with Haidt’s call for a healthier and more balanced childhood. They also showcase how advertising can foster resilience, inclusivity, and self-acceptance.
Haidt also argues for societal interventions, such as school phone bans and raising the age of internet adulthood to 16. Advertisers could amplify these efforts by supporting initiatives that prioritize mental well-being. For example, brands could create campaigns that advocate for screen-free zones or emphasize the value of face-to-face interactions.
Haidt’s research provides an urgent reminder that the mental health crisis among young people is a societal issue that demands a collective response. Advertising, as a cultural force, could be part of the solution. The industry must rethink how it leverages emotional targeting, shifting from tactics that exploit insecurities to those that inspire hope and connection.
It challenges all of us—policymakers, parents, educators, and advertisers—to confront the systemic factors driving this mental health crisis. For advertisers, this means recognizing their unique power to influence culture and using it responsibly.
The stories advertising tells about beauty, success, and belonging matter deeply, especially to impressionable adolescents navigating a “phone-based” world. By aligning their strategies with Haidt’s recommendations and focusing on the well-being of their audiences, advertisers can help rewrite the narrative. In doing so, they can contribute to a generation that is not defined by anxiety but by resilience, connection, and empowerment.
This is the moment for the advertising industry to choose: amplify anxiety or alleviate it? The answer will shape not just campaigns, but the mental health of an entire generation.
