Critics at Large | The New Yorker Will Kids Online, In Fact, Be All Right?
A documentary series sheds light on L.A. teens' digital lives post-pandemic, revealing how social media reshapes their identities. The discussion ties in historical moral panics around youth culture, from rock and roll to modern technology fears. Insights into rising mental health issues among teens due to screen time raise serious concerns. The hosts ponder how adult anxieties mirror those of the past while questioning the role of tech companies in this ongoing crisis. Amid these challenges, there's hope found in creative youth pursuits.
48:28
Teen Privacy
- Naomi Fry's teenage daughter asked her to stop mentioning her on the podcast.
- Fry continues discussing her daughter's life and online activity, focusing on the documentary "Social Studies".
Social Media's Inescapability
- Teens feel trapped by social media, recognizing its negative impacts but fearing social isolation if they disconnect.
- This "inescapability" is a key theme observed by Vinson Cunningham in the documentary.
Sydney's Social Media Journey
- Sydney, a college freshman in the documentary, initially uses social media for validation through provocative content.
- Her online experience shifts when she makes new friends but later faces cyberbullying, prompting reflection on her online identity.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app 1 chevron_right 2 chevron_right 3 chevron_right 4 chevron_right 5 chevron_right 6 chevron_right 7 chevron_right
Intro
00:00 • 4min
Navigating Identity in the Age of Social Media
04:25 • 12min
Navigating Teenage Social Dynamics and Moral Panics
16:18 • 3min
Moral Panics and Youth Culture
19:39 • 10min
Moral Panics and Youth Technology
29:12 • 4min
The Price of Connection: Youth and Social Media
33:28 • 13min
Navigating Independence and Identity in the Digital Age
46:21 • 6min
BOWLING ALONE
The Collapse and Revival of American Community
Robert Putnam
In 'Bowling Alone', Robert D. Putnam presents extensive data showing how Americans have become disconnected from family, friends, neighbors, and democratic structures. He argues that this decline in social capital has significant negative impacts on physical and civic health. The book explores various factors contributing to this decline, including changes in work, family structure, suburbanization, and the influence of technology such as television and the internet. Putnam also discusses historical precedents and potential solutions for reviving civic engagement and social connections.
The Anxious Generation
Jonathan Haidt
In 'The Anxious Generation', Jonathan Haidt examines the sudden decline in the mental health of adolescents starting in the early 2010s. He attributes this decline to the shift from a 'play-based childhood' to a 'phone-based childhood', highlighting mechanisms such as sleep deprivation, attention fragmentation, addiction, loneliness, social contagion, and perfectionism that interfere with children’s social and neurological development. Haidt proposes four simple rules to address this issue: no smartphones before high school, no social media before age 16, phone-free schools, and more opportunities for independence, free play, and responsibility. The book offers a clear call to action for parents, teachers, schools, tech companies, and governments to restore a more humane childhood and end the epidemic of mental illness among youth.
Less Than Zero
The Case for a Falling Price Level in a Growing Economy
George Selgin
In this book, George Selgin challenges the conventional wisdom that monetary policy should aim for price stability. He argues that a falling price level, driven by increases in productivity, is more beneficial for economic growth. Selgin uses historical evidence and theoretical analysis to support his argument, known as the 'productivity norm.' He contends that this approach would provide more honest price signals, reduce monetary distortions, and lead to better economic outcomes. The book has been praised for its originality and remains relevant in discussions on monetary policy[3][4][5].
The sorrows of young Werther
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Seduction of the Innocent
Fredric Wertham
Published in 1954, 'Seduction of the Innocent' by Fredric Wertham warned about the perceived dangers of comic books, claiming they promoted violence, sex, and other adult themes that could lead to juvenile delinquency. The book was influential in the establishment of the Comics Code Authority, a self-regulatory body that imposed strict guidelines on the comic book industry. Wertham's arguments were based on his clinical observations and critiques of the commercial practices of comic book publishers and retailers. However, subsequent studies have disputed the validity of his research, highlighting instances of manipulated and fabricated evidence[2][4][5].
REVIVING OPHELIA
Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls
Mary. Pipher
In 'Reviving Ophelia', Mary Pipher explores the significant challenges adolescent girls face due to societal pressures, including mental health issues, eating disorders, substance abuse, and self-esteem problems. Using case studies from her therapeutic practice, Pipher illustrates how the transition from childhood to adolescence is marked by objectification and sexualization, leading to low self-esteem and distorted body images. The book provides guidance for parents, educators, and therapists on fostering open communication, nurturing girls' unique strengths, and encouraging them to resist harmful societal pressures. Pipher also advocates for broader societal changes, such as media literacy and comprehensive sex education, to protect adolescent girls. The updated edition, co-authored with her daughter Sara Pipher Gilliam, includes new insights and comparisons between the experiences of girls in 1994 and 2019.
Generation Wealth
Lauren Greenfield
Generation Wealth is a comprehensive study by Lauren Greenfield that delves into the aspiration for wealth and its impact on individuals from all classes of society. The book, which includes over 600 images and first-person interviews, documents the global boom-and-bust economy and its complicated consequences. It examines the influence of affluence, the corruption of the American Dream, and the personal costs of late-stage capitalism, narcissism, and greed. Greenfield's work spans various locations, including Los Angeles, Moscow, Dubai, and China, providing a sociological record of the extreme measures taken to acquire and spend money[2][3][4].
The rules of attraction
Jonathan Davis
Lauren Fortgang
Brent Ellis
Bret Easton Ellis
Danny Gerard
The novel is set at the fictional Camden College and is told through the first-person narratives of multiple characters, primarily Sean Bateman, Lauren Hynde, and Paul Denton. It delves into their debauched and often meaningless lives, filled with parties, casual sex, alcohol, and drugs. The story highlights the subjective nature of reality, the futility of love and relationships, and the deep-seated self-deception and narcissism among the characters. The novel is known for its graphic and obscene descriptions, as well as its exploration of themes such as emotional manipulation, suicide, and the disconnection between individuals[2][3][5].
Go Ask Alice
Beatrice Sparks
Go Ask Alice is an epistolary novel that chronicles two years of a teenage girl's life as she navigates social acceptance, family relationships, and the dangers of drug addiction. The story begins with the protagonist, known as Alice, who is introduced to drugs unintentionally at a party. This encounter leads her down a path of addiction to various substances, including LSD, marijuana, amphetamines, and heroin. Alice's journey involves her isolation from family and friends, involvement in the drug subculture, and multiple attempts to seek help and achieve sobriety. The book highlights the devastating consequences of drug abuse and the emotional turmoil that accompanies addiction. Despite its controversial authorship, the book serves as a powerful and authentic portrayal of the struggles faced by teenagers and the dangers of drug addiction[2][3][4].
In her new FX docuseries “Social Studies,” the artist and filmmaker Lauren Greenfield delves into the post-pandemic lives—and phones—of a group of L.A. teens. Screen recordings of the kids’ social-media use reveal how these platforms have reshaped their experience of the world in alarming ways. On this episode of Critics at Large, Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz discuss how the show paints a vivid, empathetic portrait of modern adolescence while also tapping into the long tradition of fretting about what the youths of the day are up to. The hosts consider moral panics throughout history, from the 1971 book “Go Ask Alice,” which was first marketed as the true story of a drug-addicted girl’s downfall in a bid to scare kids straight, to the hand-wringing that surrounded trends like rock and roll and the postwar comic-book craze. Anxieties around social-media use, by contrast, are warranted. Mounting research shows how screen time correlates with spikes in depression, loneliness, and suicide among teens. It’s a problem that has come to define all our lives, not just those of the youth. “This whole crust of society—people joining trade unions and other kinds of things, lodges and guilds, having hobbies,” Cunningham says, “that layer of society is shrinking. And parallel to our crusade against the ills of social media is, how do we rebuild that sector of society?”
Read, watch, and listen with the critics:
“Social Studies” (2024)
“Into the Phones of Teens,” by Naomi Fry (The New Yorker)
“Generation Wealth” (2018)
Marilyn Manson
“Reviving Ophelia,” by Mary Pipher
“Go Ask Alice,” by Beatrice Sparks
“Forrest Gump” (1994)
“The Rules of Attraction,” by Bret Easton Ellis
“Less Than Zero,” by Bret Easton Ellis
“The Sorrows of Young Werther,” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
“Seduction of the Innocent,” by Fredric Wertham
“Has Social Media Fuelled a Teen-Suicide Crisis?,” by Andrew Solomon (The New Yorker)
“The Anxious Generation,” by Jonathan Haidt
“Bowling Alone,” by Robert D. Putnam
New episodes drop every Thursday. Follow Critics at Large wherever you get your podcasts.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices