Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter… They were supposed to change the world, and they have—for the worse! Experts agree: the negative effects of social media addiction include depression, anxiety, FOMO, and loneliness. Simply put, social media is bad for mental health, and teaching digital minimalism from a young age is now essential to realizing digital wellbeing and avoiding social media problems down the road. 

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If only there were a subversive anti-social media book that employs sly metaphor to help vaccinate kids from the harmful effects of social media screentime. Enter The Liking Tree, the unauthorized parody that turns Shel Silverstein’s beloved classic The Giving Tree on its head to caution children *of all ages* about the sad, empty existence that is life lived via the social platforms. 

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As a proverbial ounce of social media prevention, The Liking Tree is an essential part of today’s digital parenting toolbox—teaching children to recognize and reject the antisocial behaviors that social media has normalized. Because kids who keep off social media to begin with will never need help quitting social media or social media detox – because they’ll have learned the joys of reducing screentime in favor of living life in the moment, in person, and unplugged.