Ezra Klein

Florida classrooms. All schools in the Buckeye State.

Florida classrooms. All schools in the Buckeye State.

We are seeing a genuine policy revolution happening in places governed by Republicans, governed by Democrats, in how we treat children in this era of social media. I feel a lot more confident as a parent. We're gonna figure this out by the time my kids are old enough for it to matter.

We are seeing a genuine policy revolution happening in places governed by Republicans, governed by Democrats, in how we treat children in this era of social media. I feel a lot more confident as a parent. We're gonna figure this out by the time my kids are old enough for it to matter.

And then, of course, the truck of AI is about to T-bone whatever consensus we socially come to, which scares, to be quite honest, the hell out of me. So I wanted to have Haidt on the show to talk about it. He's a professor at New York University Stern School of Business.

And then, of course, the truck of AI is about to T-bone whatever consensus we socially come to, which scares, to be quite honest, the hell out of me. So I wanted to have Haidt on the show to talk about it. He's a professor at New York University Stern School of Business.

He's also the author of The Righteous Mind, which I think is one of the best books on political psychology, as well as a bunch of other books. And he is also the author of the After Babel Substack, which is free, where he and some co-authors are continuing to prosecute the case and think through the research around social media. As always, my email, EzraKleinShow at NYTimes.com.

He's also the author of The Righteous Mind, which I think is one of the best books on political psychology, as well as a bunch of other books. And he is also the author of the After Babel Substack, which is free, where he and some co-authors are continuing to prosecute the case and think through the research around social media. As always, my email, EzraKleinShow at NYTimes.com.

John Haidt, welcome to the show. Ezra, it's great to be back with you. So I want to just begin with the big question.

John Haidt, welcome to the show. Ezra, it's great to be back with you. So I want to just begin with the big question.

You had one statistic in the book that I think I've actually read before, but every time I read it, it shocks me anew and maybe now because I have a five-year-old who just turned six, but that at five years old, the human brain is 90% of its adult size and it has more neurons than it will when you're an adult.

You had one statistic in the book that I think I've actually read before, but every time I read it, it shocks me anew and maybe now because I have a five-year-old who just turned six, but that at five years old, the human brain is 90% of its adult size and it has more neurons than it will when you're an adult.

I don't remember exactly, but I do remember I spent a lot of time. I lived on a cul-de-sac in a suburb. And I do remember I spent a lot of time as part of just a roaming pack of kids who lived on my street. And we would be playing kickball on somebody's... garage door. And the other thing I remember about it that I feel like I see less of now is that it was highly age diverse. Exactly.

I don't remember exactly, but I do remember I spent a lot of time. I lived on a cul-de-sac in a suburb. And I do remember I spent a lot of time as part of just a roaming pack of kids who lived on my street. And we would be playing kickball on somebody's... garage door. And the other thing I remember about it that I feel like I see less of now is that it was highly age diverse. Exactly.

Something you mentioned about the 90s in the book is I am familiar with the statistic that parents today, despite working two jobs much more often than they did in the past, despite fathers being more involved, they both spend much more time with their kids than they did before.

Something you mentioned about the 90s in the book is I am familiar with the statistic that parents today, despite working two jobs much more often than they did in the past, despite fathers being more involved, they both spend much more time with their kids than they did before.

I haven't realized that that was not a sort of steady increase over the decades, that it's sharply an increase in the 90s. That's right.

I haven't realized that that was not a sort of steady increase over the decades, that it's sharply an increase in the 90s. That's right.

No, he didn't. I want to get a tension in there with at least the culture of modern parenting. I think a lot of parents believe that the simplest way to ask, were you a good parent this week, is how much time you spent with your children. Quality time. Quality time. I feel that.

No, he didn't. I want to get a tension in there with at least the culture of modern parenting. I think a lot of parents believe that the simplest way to ask, were you a good parent this week, is how much time you spent with your children. Quality time. Quality time. I feel that.