The key solutions to address the impact of smartphones and social media on children include implementing no phones in schools, raising and enforcing the minimum age for social media usage, restricting social media access before 16 years old, and promoting more free play activities. These solutions aim to establish social norms that tackle collective action problems without requiring government regulations. By collectively adopting these practices, parents can mitigate the disadvantages their children face when not using smartphones and social media at a young age. Through coordinated efforts, the initial challenges of being a first mover in these changes can transform into widespread positive impact, despite the influence of powerful tech companies.
Is Gen Z’s mental health in decline because their “phone-based childhood” has flooded them with anxiety and ruined their sleep? Or is there a more complex mix of factors at play? Jonathan Haidt makes his case for the former explanation in his latest book, The Anxious Generation.
While many people intuitively agree with his argument that phones and social media are ruining kids, some researchers are accusing Haidt of coming up with a grand overarching theory that isn’t supported by the data. Kara brings the moral psychologist and NYU professor onto the podcast to discuss his ideas, the criticism he’s gotten, and his proposed solutions to the problem.
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