Book Projects
Chief researcher for the #1 New York Times Bestseller, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. Penguin Press.
Editor of Outrage Machine: How tech amplifies discontent, disrupts democracy—and what we can do about it. Legacy Lit.
Featured Essays
Rausch, Z. (2024). The Girls Are Not Alright: Responses to Three Claims that the Youth Mental Health Crisis Is Exagerated. After Babel Substack.
Rausch, Z., Potrebny, T., & Haidt, J. (2024). The Youth Mental Health Crisis is International: Part 4. After Babel Substack.
Rausch, Z. (2024). The Youth Mental Health Crisis is International, Unless You Rely on a Flawed International Dataset. After Babel Substack.
Haidt, J., & Rausch, Z. (2023). What we Learned in 2023 About Gen Z’s Mental Health Crisis. After Babel Substack.
Rausch, Z. & Haidt, J. (2023). Solving the Social Dilemma: Many Paths to Social Media Reform. After Babel Substack.
Rausch, Z. & Haidt, J. (2023). Suicide Rates Are up for Gen Z Across the Anglosphere, Especially for Girls. After Babel Substack.
Haidt, J., & Rausch, Z. (2023). Kids Who Get Smartphones Earlier Become Adults With Worse Mental Health. After Babel Substack.
Rausch, Z., & Haidt, J. (2023). The Teen Mental Illness Epidemic Is International, Part 2: The Nordic Nations. After Babel Substack.
Rausch, Z. & Haidt, J. (2023). The Teen Mental Illness Epidemic Is International, Part 1: The Anglosphere. After Babel Substack.
Rausch, Z. (2020, Feb. 18th). Gendered values in higher education. The elephant in the ivory tower [guest writer]. Psychology Today.
Rausch, Z. (2018, June 20th). Good reads: The ape that understood the universe will challenge and delight readers of all stripes [blog post]. Society for Personality and Social Psychology: Character and Context Blog.
Media Appearances and Featured Interviews
Brady (May 1st, 2024). How Smartphones and Social Media are Harming Our Children: A Q&A with “The Anxious Generation” Chief Researcher. Verily. (Printed Interview)
Gustavfson (May 1st, 2024). Childhood rewired. Farsight. (Denmark, Printed Interview)
Holmes (April 29th, 2024). Are You Raising A Member Of The ‘Anxious Generation’? Here’s How To Protect Your Kid’s Happiness. Huffington Post UK. (Printed Interview)
Etzel (April 9th, 2024). Anxious Generation researcher says smartphones and helicopter parents are worsening youth mental health. Washington Examiner. (Interview).
The Evan Bray Show (April 4th, 2023). The Anxious Generation. Rawico Radio. (Canada, Interview).
Outspoken, with Bruce and Gaydos (April 3rd, 2024). Researcher says more real world time key to reversing troubling youth mental health trends. KTAR News. (Radio).
Charlottesville Right Now, with Courtney Stuart (April 3rd, 2024). Zach Rausch Interview. (Radio)
Perspectives in Mobile (April 1st, 2024). How smartphones and social media are affecting childhood. (Podcast, Italy).
Oikonomakou (April 1st, 2024). Generation Z grew up with smartphones and is suffering the consequences. Inside Story. (Printed Interview, Czech)
Press Play, with Madeline Brand (March 28, 2024). ‘Forever elsewhere’: Social media is worsening youth mental health. (Podcast)
On Point, WBUR (March 25, 2024). Inside the No Social Media Movement. (Podcast)
Tell Me More, with Jochen Brittner (March 24, 2024). Mental Health: Are Smartphones Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness? Zeit. (Video interview, Germany).
La Fabrique Sociale, with Victor Fersing (March 24, 2024). The Anxious Generation. (France)
Kingson (March 22, 2024). A Modest Proposal: No Smartphones for Kids. Axios.
Knorrenborg (March 3, 2024). The researcher behind ‘The Anxious Generation’: In 2010, something happened which caused young people’s dissatisfaction to rise explosively. Politiken. (Printed interview in Danish).
Family Matters, with Bob McCoskrie (February 20, 2024). The teen mental illness epidemic is international. (New Zealand).
Spence (February 19, 2024). School Phone Ban: The Case For Getting Rid of the Distraction Machine. New Zealand Herald. (Printed Interview).
The Jacob Reese-Mogg Show (February 19, 2024). Interview on the UK Phone-Free School Bill. (United Kingdom).
Lever Time, with David Sirota (February 8, 2024). The Anxious Generation, Brought to you By Smartphones. (United States).
Villarino & Mcloughin (February 4, 2024). Banning minors from social media by law? In these states, there is already a serious debate. El Confidencial. (Printed interview with me)
Evan Bray Show, 980 CJME (Dec 14, 2023). The Evan Bray Show – Zach Rausch. (Canada).
Matt Allen Show, News Talk WPRO (May 16, 2023). Social Media and Mental Health Awareness. (Rhode Island, USA).
Kontrast, with Emilie Jager (May 7, 2023). Amerikansk researcher: Derfor er så mange unge kede af det (American researcher: That’s why so many young people are sad). (Denmark)
The Elias Makos Show, CJAD 800AM (April 11, 2023). What is to blame for the mental health crisis among youths? 9 minutes. (Canada)
Radio New Zealand National, with Jesse Mulligan (April 4, 2023). A solution to declining mental health in teens? 22 minutes. (New Zealand)
Radio New Zealand, The Project (April 6, 2023). Pocket Poison. Begins at 16:00 (other versions: here) (New Zealand)
Academic Publications
Rausch, Z., Carlton, C., & Haidt, J. (ongoing). Social media reforms: A collaborative review. Unpublished manuscript, Center for Humane Technology.
Haidt, J., Reeves, R., & Rausch, Z. (ongoing). What is happening to boys? A collaborative review. Unpublished manuscript, New York University.
Haidt, J., Rausch, Z. & Twenge, J. (ongoing). Social media use and mental health: A review. Unpublished manuscript, New York University.
Haidt, J., Rausch, Z., & Twenge, J. (ongoing). Is there an increase in adolescent mood disorders, self-harm, and suicide since 2010 in the USA and UK? A review. Unpublished manuscript, New York University.
Haidt, J., & Rausch, Z. (ongoing). Dating App Use and Mental Health: A Review. Unpublished manuscript, New York University.
Haidt, J., & Rausch, Z. (ongoing). Porn Use and Adolescent Health: A Review. Unpublished manuscript, New York University.
Haidt, J., & Rausch, Z. (ongoing). Video Game Use and Adolescent Health: A Review. Unpublished manuscript, New York University.
Haidt, J., & Rausch, Z. (ongoing). Digital Gambling and Adolescent Health: A Collaborative Review. Unpublished manuscript, New York University.
Haidt, J., & Rausch, Z. (ongoing). Online Communities and Adolescent Health: A Collaborative Review. Unpublished manuscript, New York University.
Haidt, J., & Rausch, Z. (ongoing). Changes in Cognitive Abilities Among Children and Adults. A Review. Unpublished manuscript, New York University.
Haidt, J., & Rausch, Z. (ongoing). The Effects of Phone Bans in Schools: A Review. Unpublished manuscript, New York University.
Haidt, J., & Rausch, Z. (ongoing). Alternative Hypotheses to the Adolescent Mental Illness Crisis: A collaborative review. Unpublished manuscript, New York University.
Haidt, J. & Park, Y (ongoing). Free Play and Mental Health: A Collaborative Review. [Help develop and curate this review]
Rausch, Z., Redden, C., & Geher, G. (2023). The value gap: How gender, generation, personality, and politics shape the values of American university students. Journal of Open Inquiry in the Behavioral Sciences.
Haidt, J., & Bail, C. (ongoing). Social media and political dysfunction: A review. Unpublished manuscript, New York University. [Helped develop this review]
Geher, G., Planke, J.A., Durso, G., Di Santo, J.M., Goldstein, A., Akhmadi, F., Griffin, M., Primavera, N., Rausch, Z., Rodriguez, K., Thompson, G., & Weintraub, J. (2020). Dark parenting: parents who score as high in the dark triad demonstrate non-authoritative parenting styles. The Journal of the Evolutionary Studies Consortium.
Rausch, Z., Weintraub, J., & Rodriguez, K. (2019). Clogged ears and loud mouths: The ape that understood the universe. A review. The Journal of the Evolutionary Studies Consortium.
Wilson, D.S., Geher, G., Mativetski, H., & Gallup, A. (2019). Darwin’s roadmap to the curriculum: Evolutionary studies in higher education. New York: Oxford University Press. [given acknowledgment in the book for my editing].
Conferences and Presentations
Rausch, Z. (May, 2024). On the mental health of children and young people. Børne- og Kulturchefforeningen.
Rausch, Z. (April, 2024). Expert witness for a hearing on the Vermont Kids Code. Vermont House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development.
Rausch, Z. (March, 2024). Speaker at the Jewish schools and technology summit. Tikvah Jewish Parents Forum.
Rausch, Z. (February, 2024). Expert witness for a hearing on the Vermont Kids Code. Vermont Senate Development Committee.
Rausch, Z. (February, 2024). Seminar series to the UK Department for Education.
Rausch, Z. (February, 2024). Panelist for “The loneliness epidemic: Education for parents and school staff.” Child Mind Institute.
Rausch, Z. (February, 2024). Expert witness for a hearing on social media regulation. Utah Senate Business and Labor Committee.
Rausch, Z. (2023). Annual Disconnect December: The Importance of Offline Teaching & Learning for Focus & Mindfulness. Montclair State University.
Rausch, Z. (2023). Expert panelist for a hearing on social media and youth mental health. Florida House of Representatives Regulatory Reform & Economic Development Subcommittee.
Rausch, Z. (2023). Keynote Speaker for the Forum for Applied Research in Children and Young People’s Mental Health. (Conference run by the Tyrg Foundation and Novo Nordisk Foundation). Hindsgavl Castle, Denmark.
Rausch, Z. (2023). Panel Discussion on Technology and Screen Time: How Much is Too Much? Solomon Schechter Day School, West Hartford, CT.
Rifkind, J., Rausch, Z., & Ferguson, M. (2020). The effect of phosphate group manipulation on E. Coli adhesion levels. SUNY New Paltz Student Research Symposium.
Rausch, Z., Rodriguez, K., & Weintraub, J. (2019). Clogged ears and loud mouths: The ape that understood the universe. A review. SUNY New Paltz Student Research Symposium.
Geher, G., Planke, J.A., Durso, G., Di Santo, J.M., Goldstein, A., Akhmadi, F., Griffin, M., Primavera, N., Rausch, Z., Rodriguez, K., Thompson, G., & Weintraub, J. (2019). Dark parenting: parents who score as high in the dark triad demonstrate non-authoritative parenting styles. SUNY New Paltz Student Research Symposium.
Rausch, Z., Rodriguez, K., & Weintraub, J. (2019). Clogged ears and loud mouths: The ape that understood the universe. A review. New England Evolutionary Psychology (NEEPS) Conference.
Cited In
Stein (2024). Lessons in Awkwardness: Is Social Media Making Kids Grow Up Too Fast, or Not Fast Enough? Aol.
Holmes (2024). The Number Of Kids Feeling Sad Or Hopeless Is On The Rise. Here’s How To Counteract It. Huffington Post.
Shrikant (2024). Do this 1 thing to curb your kid’s anxiety today, says lead researcher behind ‘The Anxious Generation.’ CNBC.
Jolly (2024). Tech has rewired our kids’ brains, a new book says. Can we undo the damage? USA Today.
Berger (2024). Yeshiva day schools discuss impact of social media on children. Jewish Link.
Britten (2024). How we got our teenagers off their phones and playing outside. The Sunday Times.
Todd (2024). Douglas Todd: Dramatic drop in men in mental-health professions bad for everyone. Vancouver Sun.
Seariac (2024). Sen. Mitt Romney on why he’s sponsoring a bill to help curb harm from teen social media usage. Deseret News.
Seariac (2024). ‘My personality changed,’ Utah teen says about social media usage in emotional bill hearings. Deseret News.
Perrier (2024). Breaking down New York City’s social mdia public safety hazard declaration. Bazaar.
Seariac (2024). Inside Utah’s war on social media. Deseret News.
Turnbull (2024). Sydney kids, no matter where they live, must have trees to climb. Sydney Morning Herald.
Mulligan (2023). Phones are doing incredible damage. News Hub.
Lofgren (2023). Psychology professors warn: Earlier smartphone use linked to worse adult mental health. The College Fix.
Friedersdorf (2023). The Battle Over Smartphones At School. The Atlantic.
Haidt (2023). Get Phones Out of School Now. The Atlantic.
Haidt & Schmidt (2023). AI Is About to Make Social Media (Much) More Toxic. The Atlantic.
Cruz (2023). The relationship between social media and mental illness among teens. Hawaii Public Radio.
Haidt (2023). Social media is taking a dangerous toll on teenage girls. The New Statesman.
Haidt (2023). Why the mental health of liberal girls fell first and fastest. The Free Press.
Gideon Lewis-Kraus (2022). How harmful is social media? The New Yorker.
Clark & Winegard (2022). Sex and the Academy. Quillette.
MacDonald (2020). The therapeutic campus. City Journal.
Non-Academic Publications
Rausch, Z. (2021-22). Heterodox Out Loud: The Best of the HxA Blog. Podcast Series.
Projansky, M. (2019). I don’t know, I love: A memoir. (Transcribed and edited by Rausch, Z., Ottoway, J., & Mayo, F.). Epigraph Books.
Rausch, Z. (2017). Louie Hershberg Stories (sections 1 – 6). Audio Recording and Editing of Local Immigrant Families for the Burlington Edible History Food Tour.
Zach Rausch 