The Jordan Harbinger Show

Jonathan Haidt is here to talk about his latest book, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. What We Discuss with Jonathan Haidt: Social media and smartphones have drastically altered childhood since the early 2010s, leading to increased rates of anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicide among teens, especially girls. Virtual interactions on social media are disembodied, shallow, and can spread mental health issues among susceptible teens. Prestige biased learning causes teens to emulate influencers, even those promoting unhealthy behaviors. Smartphones and social media also enable sexual predators to easily target children online. Overprotection in the real world and underprotection online are both mistakes that need to be reversed. Parents have allowed kids too much unsupervised screen time while restricting their independence and free play in the physical world out of exaggerated fears. Schools and parents need to set clear boundaries around