Smartphone Addiction and Gen Alpha | Jonathan Haidt, Social Psychologist

Professor Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist and author. He is a Professor of Ethical Leadership at the New York University Stern School of Business. He authored The Happiness Hypothesis, The Righteous Mind, The Coddling of the American Mind, and recently published The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.

00:00 - 5:05 Jonathan explains the latest findings on mental health and digital social media
05:06 - 6:40 The Phone-Based Childhood
6:41 - 9:45 Social Networking vs Performative Platforms
9:46 - 13:12 “But if I don’t use social media, I will be cut off from my friends”
13:13 - 16:13 The greatest public health threat to children.

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[june-september]

I’m an educator and “TikTok” brain is real. I’ve observed a steep decline in critical reasoning and problem solving that correlates with rise in social media addiction.

[journeywithin]

My teenage daughter recently became Christian. I asked her if she’s felt a change in herself. She said she feels less lonely, feeling that no matter what, God is with her. She prays before tests and finds it decreases her anxiety which helps her relax and think better.

[midnight]

We tried a phone with my daughter at 11 last year. It was more for safety as she was taking the bus. She was so miserable waiting for responses from her classmates in group chats and messaging. We took it away. After a few months. She is so much happier. She doesn’t even ask for the phone. Her principal says it’s a really big issue in the 10 - 13 year old girls with mental health, anxiety, bullying with social exclusion.

[FlashdogFul]

Really pleased Jonathan Haidt is speaking at this event. His work is outstanding.

[badajrjr]

I have four kids, ages 10, 13, 16, 19. My wife and I do not and did not allow a phone until graduation from high school (our oldest is the only one with a phone). Ask anyone from our social sphere and they will tell you our kids are exponentially happier than their peers. It has also helped with their independence as they cannot call mom or dad whenever they want to solve their problems.

[kimj]

Jonathan Haidt is brilliant. Younger parents especially need to watch this. It's easier to delay and keep kids off smartphones, than to take it away (after the addiction sets in).

[bensolo]

I've worked with teens for the last 20 years and I've observed a stark change but more scary are the parents who don't take this threat seriously and have become digital junkies just like their kids. I've struggled to get them to take purposeful action even though they do know their kids have problems.

[kathrynoneill]

It's about time PARENTS, schools, and government all got on board with this truth, and stopped committing crimes against children. We don't leave cigarettes or liquor out for them, this is NO different.
It's addiction, and it is dangerous!

[JakobHill]

As an older member of gen Z, I think the subject of "paranoid parenting" is very important to understanding my cohort. As early as kindergarten we were shown videos which implied that any stranger who asked for directions, knocked on the door, or called the house phone was probably trying to abduct us. I think that being deprived of those random interactions with adults made us less trusting of religion, family, and society in general. Add social media platforms, online gaming and internet porn to the mix, and you've got the ingredients for a mental health pandemic.

[Briekowski]

So glad he mentioned video gaming, as many who discuss the downsides of internet and social media don’t even mention it. Excessive gaming since adolescence has ruined my stepson’s social life and his therapist believes his anxiety is due in large part to it as well.

[zeno]

Haidt is one of the most important figures in this space.

[dasfahrer]

Absolutely. A child's mind is not ready for it. Even a teenager's mind is not ready for it. Until you graduate high school, no smart devices.

[jeremylaurence]

As an audio engineer, every video from arc is on the verge of feedback and it drives me crazy. Who is letting this ringing continue!!

[darrenpursuingtruth]

Jonathan Haidt sharing his insights is always worth listening to. Great to see him at the ARC event.

[Jcremo]

What about the parents own addiction being a factor?
We all have smart phones and are silently modelling phone addiction. Kids literally see it everywhere. 😕

[jtjones]

This is the single most important issue discussed at the convention. Parents (left & right, Jordan) hand their kids the equivalent of heroin when they’re 8 years old and are then shocked that they’re distracted junkies by 18.

After having been normalized for a decade it won’t be easy to reverse but something has to be done.

[AT-osnb]

great start to Thankyou Jordan Peterson and all the others involved in bringing this alliance to the world. This (ARC) is what we desperately need. Genuine facts and leadership. Now it is up to us, the public, to do our part. Spread the word, help grow the "Alliance for Responsible Citizenship", and do YOUR part to help bring about a better more positive world for all of humanity. Put an end to the distopian vision offered by the elites of Davos and the WEF gang. Bring individual Freedom and responsibility back to the forefront of a free and prosperous society. Thankyou.

[AlexLekas_TakeOne]

You can believe him, you can disbelieve him, but the evidence is what it is. The kids who grew up before cell phones spent more time outdoors, were less prone to obesity, had far fewer instances of mental instability, had a generally positive outlook on life, etc. It wasn't perfect, but nothing involving humans is.

[martynjames]

I started a petition in New Zealand to ban cellphones in schools last year. It didn't get many signatures. No one understands the extent of the problem.

[h.davidburstein]

Last year I wrote a book “Smartphones Don’t Give Hugs- A Guide out of Loneliness “. While I know Dr Haidt has all the statistics of the pathology resulting from smartphones use, I contend that it goes back to our primal need for in person human contact.
Loneliness is a light on an emotional fuel gauge and our challenge is to do the things to keep the needle as far to the right as possible.
I like all of his suggestions. But wouldn’t it be great to subject all social technology to the same scrutiny we place when introducing any new medication. After all, smartphones are soma. Thanks