A heartwarming video of a mom sending her seven-year-old into a restaurant to order by himself shows kids can still learn independence and responsibility in a technological age.
The short clip, circulated by conservative podcaster Benny Johnson, begins with an unnamed mother watching her small son walk into a Chick-Fil-A alone, cash clutched in his fist.
“I just finished the Anxious Generation,” she told the camera, referencing social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s book exploring the effects of smartphones and social media on childhood.
“At the end, they challenge you to let your kid do something age-appropriate on their own [to build their] confidence,” she continued. “So, all of my kids came up with an idea that they wanted to do that they could do alone.”
Seven-year-old Wells decided he wanted to order Chick-Fil-A — so off to Chick-Fil-A they went.
In the Anxious Generation, Haidt argues smartphones and social media deprive children of the face-to-face, unsupervised group play they need to develop social skills and resilience. He presents research showing screens ruin the sleep kids need to learn and grow, eviscerate their attention spans and prime them for addiction.
Haidt quotes Anna Lembke, an addiction researcher at Stanford University:
To mitigate these dangers, Haidt recommends parents allow kids to complete more tasks independently. He knows this is hard ask — not necessarily because the child is incapable, but because it requires the parent to relinquish control.
Wells’ mom felt that anxiety first-hand.
“The worst part is I can’t watch,” she told the camera, chagrined. “Even if the blinds weren’t shut, I could just peek and see, ‘Okay, he’s okay. He’s next and line. He’s got this.’”
“[But] no,” she flashes a disappointed smile. “No phone. No way to communicate with me. I can’t see if he’s in trouble.”
Despite her discomfort, Wells’ mom seems to recognize his success hinges on completing the task by himself, with no parental safety net.
Her self-control paid off. Wells soon emerged from the store with more Chick-Fil-A than he could carry.
“I want to do that again,” he told his elated mom with a big smile, handing her the drink he chose to upsize.
“Really?” she asked.
“Yeah, that is so fun.”
When his mom asked if the experience boosted his confidence, Wells replied with an emphatic yes.
This video encapsulates so much more than a cute moment between mother and son. It proves parents can overcome anxiety for their kids’ benefit. It illustrates kids’ ability to do hard, uncomfortable things — and the joy they feel conquering them.
Most importantly, it shows that screens and social media don’t render parents powerless. It’s more than possible to raise resilient, independent kids in the technological age with love, time, courage and some elbow grease.
To learn more about the Anxious Generation and Haidt’s recommendations for parents, click on the links below.
Additional Articles and Resources
Social Psychologist Finds Smartphones and Social Media Harm Kids in These Four Ways
Four Ways to Protect Your Kids from Bad Tech, From Social Psychologist Jonathan Haidt
Parent-Run Groups Help Stop Childhood Smartphone Use
The Harmful Effects of Screen-Filled Culture on Kids
‘Big Tech’ Device Designs Dangerous for Kids, Research Finds
Pornography Age Verification Laws: What They Are and Which States Have Them