Offline with Jon Favreau Have Smartphones Created an Anxious Generation? with Jonathan Haidt
Jun 16, 2024
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt discusses how smartphones are fueling a teen mental health crisis on the podcast. They explore negative impacts on attention spans, relationships, and politics. They also touch on societal pressures, addictive nature of social media, and influence on political trust and polarization.
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Smartphones and Mental Health
- Jonathan Haidt argues that smartphones and social media are fueling a teen and adolescent mental health crisis.
- He cites the lack of Gen Z individuals claiming social media was beneficial to their generation as compelling evidence.
Debunking Reduced Stigma Theory
- The mental health of millennials was slightly better than Gen X, contradicting the theory of reduced stigma causing increased reporting.
- A sudden spike in mental health issues around 2012 coincides with increased social media use, particularly among young girls.
Impact on Pre-teen Girls
- The sharpest mental health decline occurred among pre-teen girls around 2012, coinciding with the rise of platforms like Instagram.
- This contradicts theories blaming climate change or economic factors for the mental health crisis.