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The Anxious Generation with social psychologist Jonathan Haidt
Podcast

The Anxious Generation with social psychologist Jonathan Haidt

Simon Sinek
A Bit of Optimism, 2024
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7

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Gen Z is experiencing increased anxiety and a decline in meaningful social interactions, due to the prevalence of smartphones in their early childhood. Yet, parents and schools largely fail to protect today’s children from the adverse impacts of smartphone use.​​​​​ According to social psychologist and NYU professor Jonathan Haidt, enough is enough. It’s time to stop buying young kids smartphones, says Haidt, and encourage them to play outside more. Learn about four steps you can take to protect youth mental health and start supporting kids in digitally detoxing from their screens.

Summary

Smartphone usage has dramatically changed the experience of childhood for younger generations.

In just five years, between 2010 and 2015, a “great rewiring of childhood” occurred. Children started spending less time playing together in person and more time staring at screens, where companies attempted to grab their attention with the intention of selling products. Gen Z differs from previous generations because they’re the first generation to get smartphone and social media access before they hit puberty, which cut down on time spent playing with their friends in person. Despite the fact that social media is contributing to higher levels of anxiety among gen Z, as social psychologist Jonathan Haidt and interviewer Simon Sinek discuss, it can be tough to quit these highly addictive platforms: Users get a “dopamine hit” when using them, much like smokers. 

As a professor of graduate MBA and undergraduate courses at NYU, Haidt explains that his gen Z students often report that social media diminishes their happiness levels and productivity. Yet students say they can’t quit because “everyone else is on it,” and they believe...

About the Podcast

Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist and a professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business. He’s the author of books including The Anxious Generation and The Coddling of the American Mind.

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