Paid-only Episode 12: Jonathan Haidt vs. social media
Sep 17, 2024
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Jonathan Haidt, a prominent psychologist renowned for his research on social media's effects on mental health, engages in a vibrant discussion on the troubling reality of our digital age. He examines how social media, particularly features like the 'like' button, has contributed to societal deterioration and mental health crises among youth. The conversation digs into complex debates surrounding causal versus correlational studies, shedding light on the intricate connections between social media use and well-being.
Jonathan Haidt asserts that features like the 'like' button on social media significantly contributed to declining mental health among youth since 2009.
Current debates among researchers reveal a divide in understanding social media's impact on mental health, challenging established narratives around causation.
Deep dives
The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health
The discussion centers around the claims made by Jonathan Haidt regarding the causal effects of social media and smartphones on mental health. He argues that the introduction of features like the 'like' button and retweet functions in 2009 marked a significant decline in mental health among young people, contributing to various crises in American society. This viewpoint suggests that social media platforms have evolved from benign tools into catalysts for emotional distress, with engagement metrics that prioritize strong emotional reactions leading to a detrimental impact on overall well-being. Such a perspective contrasts sharply with his earlier moderate stance that advocated for understanding and bridging divides among differing political ideologies.
Debating Causality in Mental Health Studies
The podcast revisits earlier discussions around the relationship between smartphone usage and mental health, emphasizing the difficulty in establishing causation through correlational studies. The previous exploration concluded that while mental health issues seem to correlate with increased phone use, it's challenging to determine whether smartphones are the cause or if pre-existing mental health problems lead to greater smartphone engagement. New research efforts have emerged, with Haidt and colleagues asserting that experimental methods provide clearer evidence of social media's adverse impacts. This ongoing debate showcases how researchers attempt to clarify these complex relationships through experimental evidence rather than relying solely on observational data.
Ongoing Controversy Among Researchers
The episode highlights a recent clash between researchers examining the link between social media and mental health, particularly focusing on a meta-analysis by Chris Ferguson, a skeptic of the social media effects hypothesis. This growing contention indicates that while some researchers like Haidt put forward the idea of a direct causal relationship, others challenge this narrative by arguing that media effects are often overstated and that causality cannot be easily established. The discussion illustrates a significant divide in the academic community regarding the legitimacy of claims surrounding the impact of smartphones on mental health, demonstrating that the conversation is far from settled. As these debates unfold, more researchers are likely to contribute to the dialogue, reflecting the evolving understanding of mental health in the digital age.
A while back, The Studies Show covered the question of whether smartphones and social media cause mental health problems. Amazingly, that podcast didn’t settle the issue, and the debate has continued—and continued rather acrimoniously.
Psychologists—most notably Jonathan Haidt—are currently laying into each other, analysing, re-analysing, and meta-analysing datasets to try and work out whether “it’s the phones”. In this paid-only episode of The Studies Show, Tom and Stuart explain the story so far, and in the process get very disappointed by their heroes.
If you want to hear the whole episode and read the show notes, it’s easy to become a paid subscriber at thestudiesshowpod.com.
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