The Anxious Generation with social psychologist Jonathan Haidt | A Bit of Optimism Podcast

[@newpilgrim]

Thanks so much for this conversation. I'm a 20 year adult educator and went back to school 4 years ago to get my doctorate in media psychology because of this very conundrum. It's been difficult to watch this degradation in the classroom for over 15 years, attempt to warn people...and to watch as we've continued to bury our heads in the sand.

[@skiphoffenflaven8004]

It is embarrassing to watch in our classrooms.

[@TheGorillawarrior]

Your comment resonates so much with me. I have also considered going back to grad school to study this because I’m seeing the negative negative effect on school classrooms. Student happiness has plummeted in the last several years, and it’s not just the pandemic. Apathy is skyrocketing too. The students are left with no sense of meaning. I continue to search for answers to the puzzle. I wish you the best.

[@newpilgrim]

@@TheGorillawarrior I wish you well, too and I greatly appreciate your frustration. With you here in spirit and I hope we humans can rally and find a way to solve this global problem.

[@BPDBRETT]

This was absolutely incredible. My kids are now 30 and 24 and seem very well adjusted, have lucrative careers, and good relationships. However, they glued to their phones when not working. Fortunately, they had very active childhoods and spent lots of time with friends without any parent intervention. I am very bummed that Jonathan has very little hope that our democracy will survive intact though. Capitalism breeds tyranny is a great quote that he uses to allude to what we are experiencing now. This is not a Democrat or Republican thing. It’s a failure of leadership and the system that exist that make it hard to lead objectively. I think I might start looking an other countries to live in other than U.S.

[@eltiburongrande]

What an hour. So well-spent. Thank you for this upload. The bit about having children spend more time in the real world reminds me of a basic advice from animal behaviorists: Let the dog run around the yard.

[@Tiggy_T]

Jonathan Haidt will save a generation

[@andrewthomas695]

Perhaps. But not in the US. Why? Because in the US, money matters far more than children (or anything else). Behind all of the US woes is one sin. The overt, culturally engrained worship of money. Aka, greed.

[@ST-wo3uw]

Great conversation and very important issues. Really enjoying Jonathan's book "The Coddlng of the American Mind" at the moment. I'm in my 40s, but the best thing I ever did was quit social media several years ago. Even as a healthy adult, I didn't like what it was doing to me. I feel for young people who want to let it go but can't stand the fear of being left out. Hope we can help them put their phones down and find excitement, peace, and meaning elsewhere.

[@nellthomas4966]

Yes, I'm praying for this generation. Holy Spirit touch each individual.

[@yezkex]

Love the long talks simon, would be nice to have more of these.

[@christinecamley]

Loving this new book by Jonathan Haidt. Terrific researcher! Cheers!

[@thechangingtimes]

We need this message in every school

[@sumernoel1553]

So much good here. Im totally ready to make serious boundaries & changes w this screen behavior….for my children AND MYSELF! Its sad that our children don’t understand what life was without the disruption. It was so peaceful. Id also like to put down the angst & hatefulness. We didn’t use to be this way constantly.

[@nellthomas4966]

I'm very thankful to the Almighty Lord for showing me this video and learning from it. Thank you Dr Jonathan🙏

[@inasens_official]

THANK YOU. Highly necessary and important conversation

[@janiceburke6037]

I Simply Love Simon! Great Interview as well.

[@rapfreak7797]

Immensely informative and entertaining

[@JonathanHaidt1]

Thanks for a great conversation!

[@liljemark1]

Loved his Coddling book, can't wait for the new one! Thanks for having him on your podcast.

[@crispychap7279]

Love this conversation. More of it!!

[@TheRunpoker]

One of the most important topics ever!

[@conniemw4886]

Controlling the use of smartphones for my 2 teenagers was a struggle so my husband and I just keep on giving them guidance as much as we can.

[@SH-yu3tw]

What a relief that things are moving, but we need some real collective action...I'm one on those parents who takes the ph9ne out for the 2 months in summer, but it doesn't change much. I now dumb all phones down

[@DignifiedKnight]

Such a great episode:)

[@CaniculaClub]

They banned smartphones in schools in the Netherlands. If parents can't self-organize, the country helps. Works amazing

[@wongilank]

American parents organize to ban books

[@bethgriesauer3825]

We collect the phones at the beginning of the school day at my school in Vienna, Austria. I can't imagine allowing the students to keep them in their pockets! After about a year of that, maybe 10 years ago, our school implemented the collection method, and it made a huge difference.

[@skiphoffenflaven8004]

@@bethgriesauer3825Americans need their guns, trucks, flags…and smartphones. This will be incredibly difficult in the US.

[@SAAhmes]

I live in Colombia. Our sons school did it as well. If you don't like it, you can go. But schools and parents need to work together.

[@andrewthomas695]

Sadly, we are talking about the US, not a first world country.

[@yongcipres]

I believe we must first agree about what is the meaning of emergency. I am 55. If someone dies, or was caught in an accident, the kids need not know about it with such immediacy. They are just kids. The government school districts should implement this -->> Before entering the classroom (Grades 1 to 6), kids should place their smartphones on the bucket above the teacher's table; then get it back after class.

[@CallyNoon]

Phones are banned in schools where I live, and yes the parents all freaked out when it was announced but they did it anyway, and the kids and the parents all got used to it and moved on.

[@Ryanrobi]

I was born in 1992 and I grew up on a street with a bunch of other houses and when we got home from school me and my siblings and all the neighborhood kids would play until dark every night We only played video games in the winter when it was too cold and dark outside but now my mom at the same house same neighborhood now will not let my nieces and nephews play outside somehow she thinks it's more dangerous they need to be watched even at the same age. Growing up we were pretty much free-range kids rode our bikes all over town no helmet didn't ask permission etc. I also started working on farms when I was about seven or eight years old My friend's grandfather's farm by 12 years old I was driving vehicles on the farm shooting guns and running a chainsaw 😂. My 16-year-old niece and 14-year-old nephew never done anything like that.

[@catatonicbug7522]

I broke down in tears about the need to allow kids to take risks of actual physical harm. Humans needs that to develop. We need to learn to take risks and balance those risks against rewards. Please stop coddling the children!

[@schannstewart9385]

Our generation is noisy, crazy, loud with way too many choices to choose from. It's No wonder anxiety is so high in this country!

[@AntonOfTheWoods]

A bit late to the party but what they only touch upon at the end is that the key question for young people (and more generally everyone) is... identity. It sucks but it's true. The intellectual movements of the 60-80s rightly uncovered how important identity and identity construction were to how we structure our social groupings (communities, economies, etc) and how to a large extent these are malleable and choosable. So as always happens, people tried to push the boundaries. Then suddenly any boundaries became "evil", and any questioning of people's identity choices suddenly became "fascist" or colonial, patriarchal, insert-insult,... Then people who weren't committed to pushing these identity boundaries started pushing back. There is absolutely nothing wrong with pushing identity boundaries, but the idea that you should somehow get a free pass to do whatever you want just won't work with the size and complexity of the groups we usually live in.

[@paxdriver]

The message ti kids should be "there are better things ti do with my time". Nobody should feel they're missing out by not being on Facebook, it should be obvious that they are missing out over literally everything that matter every moment we spend on Facebook. Kris, nee Canada 1985. We didn't just play in the street, we organized 5 on 5 hockey with kids from different cliques sharing skates, sticks and transportation without helmets on ice, after dark. It was normal kids made sure their parent knew where they were and roughly the latest they'd be allowed to stay out. It was normal to organize big gatherings, and it was normal tk chat on messenger after hours too. Chats were never more interesting than the risk of blades, frozen pucks, sticks, no pads or guards, and bitter Winnipeg cold. I can't imagine not interacting at that age, I was so damn bad at it I'd feel ridiculous as an adult had I not learned common sense back then.

[@atrocchia]

Smartphones have resulted in an unprecedented overload of information 24/7.

[@theotherway1639]

The thing is...kid's are not at blame for excessive smartphone and social media use at this point...we've let the beast out of the cage and now it's not social media, it's more like hypnotical media. The kids don't even know a world without it, it's integrated into everything. Jonathan's book goes great with the mindfulness workbook called 30 Days Without Social Media by Harper Daniels.

[@MarceloRigueti]

Excelente!

[@keredeht]

I don't agree about keeping politicians in the swamp... when they come home they are more tied to and influenced by the communities they are supposed to represent. This is good for democracy!

[@stephenbrown1136]

The irony of watching this on my phone is a Hittin me..

[@elizabethr4107]

Comprehension: C-

[@stephenbrown1136]

@@elizabethr4107 what is meta, for 200 pls

[@philipsankot8003]

Simon being 50 with no kids is a whole new subject with our generation... the pioneering trend...being that age and not having kids

[@Summerhouse-z7n]

I work in a small department made up of 11 people, half are gen x, one millennial and the rest are gen z. During the morning tea break the only people that actually talk to each other are the gen x-ers and the millennial. The younger ones tend to gaze down at their phones and rarely speak unless someone mentions "Married at first sight" or Forge of Empires and then they might chip in.

[@maximelagace]

"The phone is an experience blocker. You spend a lot less time in the presence of other people. You're not with your friends. You're sleeping less, you're in nature less, you read fewer books, you don't have time for anything else, you have less of almost everything." -Jonathan Haidt

[@kartikchaturvedi7868]

Superrrb Awesome Fantastic video

[@passionfunpractice]

I feel it would be of great value to include a Gen Zer in this conversation.

[@skiphoffenflaven8004]

I agree with J. H., I’ve read all of his books. But I do not think Americans can recover from this. The narcissism each child learns to demonstrate at such a young age has become entrenched. The depression they demonstrate has become the ‘hip thing’. This is Salem, 1600-1700s. Things will have to get much worse before this will be fixed. I do not expect it in my lifetime (Gen Xer here). I find it incredibly embarrassing that Americans are so weak. I do think the kids themselves know better. As a Gen Xer, Nintendo was a huge deal. However, with or without parental urging, we decided OURSELVES to stop playing Nintendo and head outside to play, explore, to play DnD together, or Magic, or chess, etc… Gen Z has had all of those things available and they CHOSE, narcissistically, to stay online and show off themselves at the same time believing they were adults by doing so, effectively accelerating towards adulthood without any understanding of adulthood.

[@tonylombardi4661]

I have college age kids. I made two decisions that were counter to their friends. No video game computer in our house. My opinion was they should go do something fun including read novels. (They could play with their friends' console, but no gaming in our house). No cell phone until 8th grade. I see very, very children with experience cell phones and tablets in their lap as a pacifier. Our kids don't have the anxiety issues that many of their friends experience and they decide at times to delete their social media apps because it's a distraction.

[@chasethechase2298]

Gen X is the least mentally healthy generation, according to who? Not the APA Stress in America™ 2020 report. Why aren't people spending time together? Where? How would they get there?

[@randomactivitiesco.5848]

If you're talking about parenting and healthy future generations, you have to read Disolving Illusions. Kids Don't have a chance without proper care.

[@davepenny1199]

Off topic....to this clip. How do you have or approach "dangerous conversations" about the integrity of the leadership. When or after an event or circumstances - give rise to strong concerns /questions about the integrity of the leadership. When already, a level of trust has eroded. In the absence of communication or any acknowledgement Where I feel, self preservation (of /within leadership)has become a main value now driving (leadership actions)

[@TheFallenEnterpriseClanWars]

My only concern is the dismissal of parents wanting to keep their children safe. WHY are some parents overprotective in today’s world? Human trafficking and kidnapped children play a huge factor. A lot of Parents aren’t overprotective for no reason.

[@brain_respect_and_freedom]

👍

[@rapidempowermenttherapy]

🥰

[@paigedavis8761]

The workplace issues you are referring to are for GenZ. I was born in 91 and don’t relate at all nor do any of my millennial peers.

[@sn8597]

What’s to be done to help the 20 something adult child that is wasting their life after quitting great job following a great college degree being on top of their school.. because they don’t want to work the 9-5 or have desire to earn money. Just got blindsided parenting in the age when we didn’t know understand the pitfalls of smart phone and social media. We are to mind our boundaries and not hurt their feelings by rejecting their poor choices or we are cut off from their lives. Is there any hope for this age group?

[@chasethechase2298]

I'm around that age. Why work? We'll never have an amount of money appreciable to what matters to build up long-term goals: homes, families, vacations. These luxuries are increasingly out of reach, and all the time there are more and more things to do which are free (Tabletop gaming, sports, media). Is there hope that they will work hard to compete for scraps during a time when corporate greed is destroying the climate? No. But there is hope that they will find happiness, community, and fulfillment through non-monetary means

[@Toocurplants]

Shouldn't we consider roles of women? as mothers and daughters? They are the main drive for creating and maintaining social units? So if we help them with feeling less anxious. Maybe we can change things? I mean is it possible and how we do that is another topic that depends on location, i guess?

[@chasethechase2298]

Men can fulfill those roles equally well. Why are so many care-roles unfulfilled? Let's take a look at how nurses were treated during the recent pandemic. Overworked and at-risk, they were neither monetarily rewarded in a way commensurate with the increased risk and workload nor was care found for them to be supported which they cared for the sick. Now, we continue to have a shortage of nurses since the field is less popular and less populated. Teaching is also an increasingly unpopular profession. For parents, I have heard that community childcare is at an all-time low, and so parents have to work instead of caring for their children. If caring wasn't so difficult to do and so unsupported, many would gladly fill the roles, and that is something which can be changed on the personal and the political level.

[@sirturdaloter141]

People need to quit looking outside their own homes and lives for answers. The only thing that will ever affect children are the parents. Parents, especially the mothers are evil by nature. The evil within the home creates resentment. Parents, lose all anger and watch the problem disappear in an instant. Even with a child that stares at phone all day, fixed.

[@littlelizzymamaliz]

Mom bag? Our shoulders are broken. It's time for the dad satchel. Or parent pouch! The comment was not great.

[@Jennawang20]

yeah this is mean😬😅

[@ginger22ly]

Gals or females also may like to play action games.

[@khanyisagura4377]

I want to put my phone away when i am at home with my 2 year old daughter always always

[@shannonhusk5268]

Most flip phones are not 5G and most cell phone companies are going to 5G

[@sarika2629]

i want a friend .

[@chel3SEY]

The interviewer.... like, you know... um, you know... like, like... He loves his own jokes too. Oy.

[@akranier]

The host is talking way too much. Let your interview partner speak please.

[@jacquischaefer6118]

Twice so far he commented and slid in his political view . Lots of other ways to get his point across without it . This is part of the problem

[@YdissacSonatnof]

I wish only people at the age of 18+ can have a gadget, and make limits on how they will use it

[@teddy337-s4v]

Con artists sound like bipolari🤣🤣

[@elizabethmeulenbelt2850]

Free-range children, now that's a bumper sticker to put out in the world, lol! I think the world could greatly benefit from children being taught how to practice self discipline and boundaries with self. They can never learn this if things are just taken away because they are overindulgent. Same as the addict. The strength to say no, enough is enough has to be taught and demonstrated for them.

[@chasethechase2298]

No man is an island. Children need guidance from parental figures, not neglect or authoritarianism.

[@eckharttolle-nq7qu]

HAVE YOU NOTICED GAS IS SKY HIGH - THANKS JOE😅

[@christybenson2328]

Has NOTHING to do with any president, even the orange wonder. Has all to do with supple and demand, in 2022 their revenue was 332.9 BILLION DOLLARS over The previous year of 211.2 billion. The five largest companies made 134 BILLION IN PROFIT. But, hey blame President Biden if it makes you feel better, if not clueless 🙄

[@Jean-Luc-sh2pg]

Why would Haidt go on this? Sinek is such a bottom-feeder, so beneath him.