From Distraction to Direction: Finding Purpose in an Anxious Age
In a world designed to steal your attention, this week we focused on focus...and purpose.
It’s no secret that our attention is under siege. For today’s kids, the culprit is often smartphones and social media, which argues have fueled a global surge in teen anxiety and depression. For adults, the trap can look more like endless hustle — pouring energy into goals that don’t actually matter. Former Navy SEAL commander Mike Hayes thinks the answer is swapping empty ambition for a true mission. This week, their ideas helped point us toward a life oriented around clarity, resilience, and purpose.
This Week on the Next Big Idea Podcast
Best Of: Jonathan Haidt on What Social Media Is Doing to Our Kids
It’s rare these days for a book to go viral, but that’s exactly what happened with The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by
Now in its 75th week on the New York Times’ bestseller list, the book reveals a startling truth: Starting in 2012, teen depression rates suddenly spiked 150% worldwide, perfectly coinciding with the moment smartphones and social media conquered childhood.
But Haidt doesn't just diagnose the crisis. He offers a roadmap out with norms, guidelines, and policy suggestions that parents, schools, and communities are already implementing with remarkable success.
Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Book Bite of the Week
Ambition won’t save you—purpose will.
In our culture, we cheer for hustle, celebrate the grind, and admire those who take big swings. But if you’re running in the wrong direction, all that ambition just gets you lost faster. Former Navy SEAL commander Mike Hayes says the real trick isn’t more drive, it’s better aim. In his new book Mission Driven: The Path to a Life of Purpose, he shows us how to swap empty ambition for a mission that actually matters. Pick up a copy of the book on Amazon (all profits from the book go to pay off mortgages for Gold Star families) or check out Mike’s summary here.
This week, Book of the Day is brought to you by Jim Ferrell, bestselling author behind the original classic Leadership and Self-Deception. His groundbreaking new book, You and We, is the essential connectivity playbook for leaders and changemakers navigating the age of AI, division, and polarization. Order your copy today.
First Look Club
Get free books before they’re published, and share your opinions.
For over 10 years, the Next Big Idea Club has connected curious minds with the most exciting new books and authors. Now, the First Look Club takes that mission even further — putting advance copies of upcoming books in the hands of the people who can help them shine before they hit the shelves.
If you’re willing to share your honest opinions on platforms like Amazon, Goodreads, or your own social channels, we’ll send you free advance copies of exciting new books.
Whether you’re a passionate reader or a fellow author, your voice can help launch the next big idea into the world.
Happy Pub Week!
Load up your shopping cart with some great new reading from authors like
(Dirtbag Billionaire), (Dr. Bot), Daniel Yon (A Trick of the Mind), Michael E. Mann and Peter J. Hotez (Science Under Siege), (Fawning), (The Flipside), (How to be Free), Ann Tashi Slater (Traveling in Bardo), Keira D’Amato (Don’t Call It a Comeback), Marcus du Sautoy (Blueprints), David J. Lynch (The World’s Worst Bet), Edward Segal (The Crisis Casebook), and (Dream School)