556. How Social Media Is Wrecking Kids' Lives and Stealing Their Childhood | Jonathan Haidt

Jonathan Haidt and Jordan Peterson examine the troubling rise in depression and anxiety among teens, with an emphasis on the stark increase in such issues among girls starting around 2012-2013.

Increase In Internalizing Disorders Like Anxiety and Depression Among Girls Starting Around 2012-2013 Across the West

Haidt and Peterson discuss how internalizing disorders have surged among young girls in English-speaking countries since 2012, marking a significant and concerning trend.

Rates Stable From Late 1990s to 2011, Then Trended Upward

Both Haidt and Peterson note that rates of internalizing disorders like anxiety and depression were stable from the late 1990s until around 2010-2011, at which point they began to trend upward. Haidt states that anxiety and depression remained stable without showing any significant trends in English-speaking countries during the mentioned stable period.

Girls Show More Pronounced Increase Than Boys

A pronounced increase in rates of depression, anxiety, and other psychopathologies in girls, as opposed to boys, has been identified. This increase is often between 50 and 100 percent in these countries, with preteen girls sometimes experiencing more than a 200 percent increase. Peterson discusses how surge in negative emotions like depression and anxiety is observed among young women starting at puberty, and this aligns with the increases in reports of these issues.

Self-Harm Data Spike Trends for Young Girls

Haidt mentions that there is a noticeable increase in self-harm among girls, aligning with the period of their early engagement with social media platforms such as Instagram. For preteen girls, hospital visits for self-harm saw an over 200 percent inc ...

Kaya Henderson and Jonathan Haidt, along with others, discuss the significant impact that technology, especially social media and video games, have had on the mental health of individuals, particularly teenagers.

Smartphone, Social Media, and Online Video Adoption (2012-2015) and Mental Health Crisis Onset

Haidt attributes the onset of the mental health crisis in part to the adoption of smartphones, social media, and online video around the period of 2012-2015. He suggests the timing of the social media rise coincides with the onset of mental health issues, implying a potential link. He describes the period from 2010 to 2015 as the "great rewiring of childhood", with major shifts from in-person social interaction to continuous engagement with social media. Haidt suggests that once children have smartphones and apps like Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat, it marks the start of a phone-based childhood, limiting many aspects of a child's life, including sleep, time with people, time in nature, and the ability to read books.

Social Media Use in Pre-teen and Teenage Girls Linked To Anxiety, Depression, and Self-Harm Through Social Comparison, Peer Pressure, and Negative Behavior Reinforcement

Haidt describes how social media amplifies the vulnerability of girls to anxiety and self-doubt due to online social dangers, linking social media use to increased rates of internalizing disorders such as anxiety and depression. He suggests a relationship between social media use among pre-teen and teenage girls and an increase in anxiety, depression, and self-harm. These platforms allow for girls exposing each other to anxiety-inducing content, seeking support, and perhaps inadvertently motivating more extreme behavior due to the nature of the platforms. The evidence suggests a correlation where heavy users of social media are doing much worse in terms of mental health.

Video Games and Digital Entertainment Fragment Attention, Cause Social Disconnection, and Drive Addiction In Boys

Haidt notes that video games are not as harmful to boys as social media is to girls; however, he speaks about how approximately 10% of boys develop problematic video game use, appearing as an addiction and interfering with other aspects of their lives. He discusses the attention fragmentation and the loss of ability to engage in less stimulating activities as significantly detrimental. Boys are targeted by industries such as video games, porn, vaping, sports gambling, and investing—all which provide quick [restricted term] hits. Peterson mentions a rising trend of boys being on ADHD medication, which he connects to the suppression of play behavior—a crucial factor in prefrontal cortex maturation, as noted by affective neuroscientist Giac Panksepp.

The conversation suggests that boys' feeds on platforms like TikTok often contain a lot of violence and that the dail ...

Jonathan Haidt's book and Jordan Peterson's insights explore the differential impacts technology, such as social media, has on the development of girls and boys, highlighting unique challenges each gender faces.

Girls Are More Vulnerable to Online Social Dangers, Boosting Anxiety and Self-Doubt

Girls tend to be more connected online and therefore are more significantly affected by the content they encounter on social media.

Evolution, Development Make Girls Prone to Social Contagions, Status Concern

Haidt examines how girls' desire for approval and judgment can lead to elevated levels of anxiety and self-doubt. Peterson traces the sensitivity of young women to social contagions back 300 years, suggesting that temperamental factors, such as prioritizing social consensus or feeling threats more intensely, could make females more vulnerable to online social dangers, particularly around puberty.

Transition to the Digital Realm Exacerbates Vulnerabilities

The online environment, which amplifies social interactions and their impacts due to anonymity and lack of consequences, heightens girls' vulnerabilities. Peterson points out that image-centered and short-form content, popular in digital formats, contribute to girls' increased anxiety and self-doubt due to the competition for attractiveness and the indelible digital footprint that result.

Boys Risk Digital Retreat Stunting Development

In contrast to girls, boys are more likely to be engrossed in video games, which engenders distinct developmental concerns.

Boys' Lack of Real-World Challenges, Responsibility, and Risk-Taking Leaves Them Ill-prepared For Adulthood

Haidt asserts boys' preference for systemizing over empathizing, which video games cater to, could lead to them being underprepared for adult life. Peterson further suggests that digital diversions provide a distorted reality where boys don't experience loss and build resilience through real fear and challenges.

Peterson also posits that there is an ongoing attack on male-typical play in an educational environment that is increasingly intolerant of competitive games and deems male ambition as problematic. This shift, along with the transition from physical work to a service economy, is resulting in boys checking out of school and the workpla ...

In the face of technology's burgeoning impact on youth, Jonathan Haidt and other voices suggest a multi-pronged strategy to safeguard childhood development from the adverse effects of smartphones and social media.

Limit Children's Access to Smartphones, Social Media, and Harmful Tech With New Norms, Possibly Through Legislation

No Smartphones Before High School or Age 14

Haidt advocates for a norm where children do not have smartphones until high school or age 14. By only allowing children to have basic phones for communication, he implies that childhood can be preserved in reality rather than through a screen.

No Social Media Until Age 16

For social media, Haidt suggests setting a minimum age at 16. Although challenging due to peer pressure, he references Australia's legislative efforts for such age restrictions. His practice reflects the belief that premature exposure to online worlds, namely social media, is detrimental to children.

Phone-Free Schools

Supporting phone-free schools, Haidt compares smartphones' distractions to bringing a TV to school in the past. He envisions that without these distractions, children's test scores might improve, and the rates of anxiety and depression could decline.

Expand Play, Exploration, and Risk-Taking To Foster Development

Allow More Free Time For Play

Haidt recommends that children have more free time for play, emphasizing the need for physical interaction with the world in low-stakes environments. This includes play that entails risks, like climbing or bicycling over jump ramps, which are essential for brain development.

Encourage Outdoor Activities, Team Sports, and Hands-On Hobbies

Linking childhood development to outdoor activities, Haidt suggests imagining a childhood with 50% less sunshine to stress the importance of sunlight and activities like jump rope and patty-cake. These activities mirror adult behaviors that promote cooperation and social development.

Challenge, Adventure, and Responsibility in Parenting

Haidt discusses the positive effects of thrilling play, illustrating that thrilling play can include laughing combined with fear. A typical example is a father pretending to be a monster on the beach, instilling both excitement and a controlled exposure to fear.

For young men, Jordan Peterson articulates the need for adventure, responsibility, and the possibility of doing something significant. Haidt agrees, calling for more rough and tumble play and countering the soft bigotry of low expectations by providing real-world challenges. ...