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the TAG movement

What if kids came first?

We’re building a world where kids can grow up without tech getting in the way. Through global policy, culture, and behavior change, we make it possible for kids to have the foundation they need to flourish.

Jonathan Haidt on stage with Oprah Winfrey

Our story

The TAG Movement grew out of the ideas and solutions in The Anxious Generation. Through his landmark research, social psychologist and TAG cofounder Jon Haidt showed how the rise of social media and smartphones has rapidly rewired childhood and triggered a global mental health crisis for kids and teens.

As soon as it was published, the book hit a nerve. It put words and research behind what many of us were already feeling: the technology that had ingrained itself in our lives was having a negative impact on kids and teens.

As cultural awareness of the problem and its proposed solutions spread, so did the widespread desire to act. We quickly launched the Anxious Generation Campaign to support and accelerate change.

Kids riding bikes together outdoors

Our why

Kids have inherited a world mid-scroll, where connection is quantified and attention is currency. But when we think about childhood, we think about possibility and expansiveness: the room to explore, to figure things out, to learn from mistakes, and to take risks. Growing up was never meant to be ruled by algorithms or influenced by LLMs.

We believe every kid deserves that room to grow without tech crowding in and consuming them. We’re building a world full of real play, real friendships, and real experiences where kids can flourish.

Our momentum

This is serious, but it’s solvable. We see progress every single day, in the emails we receive from young people and parents about changes they’re making in their lives, in the way grassroots organizations are mobilizing communities across the globe, and in how leaders are taking bold steps toward real guardrails and regulations when it comes to Big Tech. We’re honored to be working with and for this international movement, and above all, we know it’s a team effort. Ready to tag in?

I’m ready to tag in

Meet the humans of TAG

Cofounded by Jon Haidt and Alexa Arnold, the TAG Movement is powered by a team with extensive experience in research, policy, advocacy, startups, and yes, even tech.

Meet the team

The ideas

The ideas that sparked — and continue to fuel — the movement

The Anxious Generation

The Anxious Generation

The #1 New York Times bestseller and TAG’s foundational text, Haidt’s book shows how what he calls “the Great Rewiring of Childhood” is causing a global mental health crisis. With over four million copies sold globally, the book has changed how the world thinks about technology in childhood and adolescence.
Explore the book →
The Amazing Generation

The Amazing Generation

A guide for kids to help them use tech as a tool (not let it use them). It inspires kids to choose friendship, freedom, and fun in the real world. Written by Haidt and author Catherine Price, this hybrid chapter book graphic novel is ideal for those ages 8–12.
Explore the book →

The Tech and Society Lab at NYU

Led by Jonathan Haidt and Chief Researcher Zach Rausch, the Tech and Society Lab studies how technology is reshaping childhood, education, mental health, and human flourishing. The TAG Movement draws on the lab’s rigorous research to support its solutions, policy work, and resources.

Visit the Tech and Society Lab(opens in a new tab)
Tech and Society Lab at NYU

Questions come up.
Here are the ones we hear most.

About the organization

The TAG Movement (TAG) is a nonprofit organization that grew out of the ideas and research behind The Anxious Generation and The Amazing Generation. Cofounded by Jon Haidt and Alexa Arnold, TAG turns research into action to protect kids and teens from the forces that are disrupting childhood, from smartphones and social media to AI and the loss of independence and free play.

At TAG, we shape the conversation and culture around kids and technology — including smartphones, social media, AI, EdTech, and online gambling — through thought leadership and innovative content, and we identify solutions, tipping point policies, and norm shifts that will create durable change. We also support grassroots partners and social change leaders through convening, resources, and tools that augment and extend their work.

We partner with the Tech and Society Lab, Jon Haidt’s research team at NYU, to turn their cutting-edge research into action. We’re also honored to carry this work forward alongside millions of parents, caregivers, educators, and young people living this issue every day.

The TAG Movement grew directly from the book and was cofounded by Jon Haidt and Alexa Arnold to support and accelerate worldwide change. The book sparked a global conversation, and galvanized parents, educators, and policymakers to act. In 2026, we began the transition from an advocacy campaign to a standalone organization, a 501(c)(3).

Yes, the TAG Movement partners with the Tech and Society Lab and draws on their rigorous research to inform its solutions, policy work, and resources.

TAG is an acronym for the book we grew out of, and it’s the game nearly all of us grew up playing. We think it encapsulates everything we are working for: the space to play, explore, take risks, and grow into a flourishing adult.

If you care about how technology is affecting kids and teens, TAG is here for you. Parents, caregivers, educators, mentors, advocates, policymakers, and young people are all part of the TAG community. Explore resources by interest here.

Developed by the TAG Movement, the Childhood Index ranks all 50 U.S. states on the strength of their laws and leadership across phone-free schools, childhood independence, social media age limits, and tech regulation. It’s a data-driven way of keeping track of which states are leading on protecting childhood (and which are falling behind). We’re in the process of updating it and will share the 2026 Childhood Index later this year.

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