Kids These Days - by Will W Dobud & Nevin J Harper (Paperback)

About the Book

Cutting-edge research casting a critical eye on the adolescent mental health crisis, presenting solutions for raising healthy youth.

Book Synopsis

Kids These Days is a must-read book and protest against harmful mental health treatments for children and youth.

--PARIS HILTON, global advocate for institutional reform and founder of 11:11 Media

Anxiety, depression, self-harm, and teen suicide are rising sharply--youth mental health issues have increased over 60% in the past decade. In Kids These Days, experts Will Dobud, PhD and Nevin Harper, PhD reveal why today's kids are struggling and what adults must do differently. Endorsed by Paris Hilton, Dr. Bruce D. Perry, and Alex Hutchinson, this research-based guide delivers practical strategies for building resilience, connection, and autonomy in the next generation.

What You'll Learn

• Why anxiety, depression, and behavioral challenges are symptoms, not root causes


• How overprotection, screen time, disconnection, and adult interference affect youth mental health


• Insights from 20+ years of clinical experience and adolescent psychology for raising emotionally resilient teens


• Why traditional talk therapy, diagnoses, and medication often miss the mark


• How to build trust, connection, and autonomy with kids--even in crisis

Why This Book Stands Out

• Written by practitioners with decades of experience in outdoor therapy, youth work, and trauma-informed care


• Grounded in research and filled with expert insights from parenting and psychology professionals


• Offers practical strategies parents, educators, and youth mentors can apply immediately


• A refreshing alternative to books that pathologize or try to "fix" kids

Endorsed by Leading Voices

"This is a crucial read for anyone living or working with children and youth. Highly recommended." -- Dr. Bruce D. Perry, co-author of What Happened to You?

"A fresh, provocative look at the challenges facing our kids in today's world." -- Alex Hutchinson, New York Times bestselling author of Endure

Perfect for readers of The Anxious Generation, Hold On to Your Kids, and Free-Range Kids. Whether you're a parent, teacher, youth worker, or therapist, Kids These Days will change how you see the next generation--and your role in helping them thrive.

Our kids aren't broken. But the system is.

Let's change the story.

Buy Kids These Days today--your guide to raising strong, connected, and capable young people.

Review Quotes

Kids These Days is a must-read book and protest against harmful mental health treatments for children and youth. Dobud and Harper truly understand youth and care about their safety.
--Paris Hilton, global advocate for institutional reform and founder of 11:11 Media

Kids These Days challenges the over-analytic, pathologizing, self-absorbed focus on children and youth in today's world. With a combination of quality scholarship, insights from a range of experts, and effective storytelling, the authors make a strong case to "back away from the developing child!" The power of healthy (i.e., non-intrusive) adult presence balanced with unstructured play, exploratory opportunities, and the tolerance of discomfort can build confidence, create resilience, and promote health and wellness. This is a crucial read for anyone living or working with children and youth. Highly recommended.
--Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D., Principal of The Neurosequential Network and Author, with Oprah Winfrey of the New York Times #1 Bestseller What Happened to You: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience and Healing

Problem-solution-celebration. Alas, it is deeper and more complex than that--as is whatever seems to be raining sorrow and dysfunction on a whole lot of "kids these days." Here's hoping this book's light shines into every corner of the problem and helps us toward a real and practical solution.
--Lenore Skenazy, author Free-Range Kids, and president, Let Grow

Kids These Days is a fresh, provocative look at the challenges facing our kids in today's world. Instead of simple answers and tired clichés, Dobud and Harper take a broad and nuanced approach, zeroing in on the ways in which our attempts to shelter and protect kids from risk may be backfiring.
--Alex Hutchinson, New York Times bestselling author, Endure and The Explorer's Gene

In an era where discussions about child and adolescent psychology often call for greater nuance and contextual understanding, this book stands out by delivering precisely that. It masterfully weaves rigorous science, compelling narratives, and unconventional insights, offering a fresh perspective that challenges traditional thinking. A timely and essential read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of young minds.
--Dr. Todd B. Kashdan, Professor of Psychology and author, The Upside of Your Dark Side and The Art of Insubordination

Moral panics about "kids these days" are everywhere, but Dobud and Harper cut through the hysteria with real science and clear thinking. They show how well-intentioned interventions often backfire--and what actually helps. A must-read for anyone who cares about kids.
--Kurt Gray, Professor, Ohio State University and author, Outraged

This is the book about kids I have been waiting for! With too many books that propose single causes and single solutions, Dobud and Harper go broader and deeper. With their extensive experience, wisdom, and knowledge, they show us how to understand youth problems in a way that will be helpful to all kids in the long run. It is not a quick fix. Kids These Days is groundbreaking and fundamentally important for our kids' future. Read this book and step up.
--Birgit Valla, Clinical psychologist and author of Beyond Best Practice: How Mental Health Services Can Be BetterKids These Days cautions the "adults in the room" to avoid the trap of blaming the next generation, and instead calls upon all of us to support young people growing up in an increasingly complex world. The authors avoid simple solutions that are bound to fail. Instead, this book offers deep insights into the opportunities and risks that youth and adults need to face together to build healthier brains, bodies, and relationships.
--Candice L. Odgers, Chancellor's Professor, Associate Dean, and Professor of Psychology and Informatics at the University of California Irvine, and co-director, Child & Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research

Grounded in expert interviews, researched arguments, compelling anecdotes, and compassion for young people, Kids These Days reminds us of the wisdom of emotion. Dobud and Harper pierce through the knee-jerk conceptual habits and trending theories that trick us into ignoring social, cultural, and environmental factors. Instead of blaming smartphones, they invite us into a multifaceted approach grounded in simple interventions. Maybe we need to spend a bit less time signing up for every program that claims to fix every little tendency we notice in our children, and spend a bit more time simply being with them.
--Jay Vidyarthi, bestselling author, Reclaim Your Mind, and founder, Still Ape

About the Author

Will Dobud, PhD, MSW has over 20 years of therapeutic experience working with youth and families from diverse backgrounds across the US, Australia, and Norway. He has developed innovative programs that integrate psychotherapy and the outdoors to improve teenagers' experience when seeking mental health treatment. A dedicated, award-winning researcher and senior social work lecturer, Will explores ways to improve the experience and effectiveness of mental health supports, and advocates for youth impacted by the United States' troubled-teen industry. He is co-host of the popular Adventure Therapy Collective Podcast and co-author of Solution-Focused Practice in Outdoor Therapy: Co-Adventuring for Change and Outdoor Therapies: An Introduction To Practices, Possibilities, and Critical Perspectives. A senior lecturer in social work at Charles Sturt University, Will lives and works between Australia and the Washington DC area.

Nevin Harper, PhD, is a Professor in the Faculty of Health at the University of Victoria, and a Registered Clinical Counsellor with over 30 years' experience leading groups and individuals through outdoor educational, therapeutic and transformative experiences.

His research in the areas of child and youth health and development examines human-environmental interactions, primarily through the practices of outdoor therapies, adventure programming, and nature-based approaches to healing and wellbeing. He has travelled and worked internationally as a consultant, trainer, speaker, and an evaluator of programs and services in related areas. Nevin is co-author of Nature-Based Therapy: A Practitioner's Guide to Working Outdoors with Children, Youth, And Families and Outdoor Therapies: An Introduction to Practices, Possibilities, and Critical Perspectives. He lives on Vancouver Island, Canada.