The Glenn Beck Program Ep 268 | If Americans Seem Crazy, Here’s Why | Jonathan Haidt | The Glenn Beck Podcast
Oct 4, 2025
Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist and bestselling author of The Anxious Generation, discusses the alarming impacts of social media on today's youth. He shares insights on rising polarization and warns that platforms like TikTok and Snapchat pose serious risks to mental health and social development. Haidt stresses the need for regulation and suggests practical steps for parents to promote better attention and resilience among kids. They also address the potential dangers of AI companions and the need for a legal framework to define personhood.
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Media Shift Drives Polarization
- Social media and microcasting have transformed public discourse so that what most people think only matters on election day.
- This new media environment accelerates polarization and weakens democratic discussion.
Tone Down Good-Versus-Evil Rhetoric
- Turn down Manichaeism and emphasize rule of law when speaking to a broad audience.
- Encourage conversations that stress legal norms and peaceful political processes.
2012 Marked A Turning Point For Youth Mental Health
- The mental-health decline in teens began sharply around 2012–2013 when social lives moved online.
- Overprotection offline plus underprotection online produced an industrial-scale harm to children.
