Jonathan Haidt

And partly it is due, I think, to the deregulatory impulse to the fact that we have lost the ability to regulate things in a smart way. And so one principle I really want to make clear in all of this is we have to distinguish between children and adults. So we are a generally libertarian country compared to Europe where they're happy to ban anything.

And partly it is due, I think, to the deregulatory impulse to the fact that we have lost the ability to regulate things in a smart way. And so one principle I really want to make clear in all of this is we have to distinguish between children and adults. So we are a generally libertarian country compared to Europe where they're happy to ban anything.

When we're talking about adults, I think we're generally right. Generally, we should let adults do what they want unless there's compelling evidence for some reason. But when we're talking about kids, it's entirely different. And when you have entire trillion-dollar industries... Where do they make their money from? I didn't pay them a penny. You didn't pay them a penny.

When we're talking about adults, I think we're generally right. Generally, we should let adults do what they want unless there's compelling evidence for some reason. But when we're talking about kids, it's entirely different. And when you have entire trillion-dollar industries... Where do they make their money from? I didn't pay them a penny. You didn't pay them a penny.

Our kids didn't pay them a penny. That entire value is created by breaking up the day into tiny little bits and sucking out the attention and selling it to advertisers and selling the data.

Our kids didn't pay them a penny. That entire value is created by breaking up the day into tiny little bits and sucking out the attention and selling it to advertisers and selling the data.

Yeah, that's right.

Yeah, that's right.

Okay. All right. Hold on a second here. So in general, I agree with you that the technology makes everything easy. And for adults, that actually is often good. Not But for kids, it's disastrous because kids need to learn to do hard things. And the technology makes it easy for them to not do hard things.

Okay. All right. Hold on a second here. So in general, I agree with you that the technology makes everything easy. And for adults, that actually is often good. Not But for kids, it's disastrous because kids need to learn to do hard things. And the technology makes it easy for them to not do hard things.

But if I could just add on, you started this off by saying, oh, you don't think that, you know, we're not going to get an actual age verification system. The one real obstacle that I have faced, and once I put the book out, you know, parents love it. They're embracing it. Teachers are embracing it. The main objection I get is resignation. It's just people saying, what are you going to do?

But if I could just add on, you started this off by saying, oh, you don't think that, you know, we're not going to get an actual age verification system. The one real obstacle that I have faced, and once I put the book out, you know, parents love it. They're embracing it. Teachers are embracing it. The main objection I get is resignation. It's just people saying, what are you going to do?

You know, technology is here to stay. You know, the kids, they're going to have to use it when they're adults. Might as well learn when they're kids. You know, you can't put the genie back in the bottle. But actually we can, and we're doing it. So I just really want to make the point that we don't have easy age verification now, but But if we incentivize it, we'll have it within a year.

You know, technology is here to stay. You know, the kids, they're going to have to use it when they're adults. Might as well learn when they're kids. You know, you can't put the genie back in the bottle. But actually we can, and we're doing it. So I just really want to make the point that we don't have easy age verification now, but But if we incentivize it, we'll have it within a year.

So my colleague at NYU, Scott Galloway, gives the example of how the social media companies, this industry, they put a lot of research and money into advertising.

So my colleague at NYU, Scott Galloway, gives the example of how the social media companies, this industry, they put a lot of research and money into advertising.

And so they figured out a way that when you click a link anywhere on the internet, when you click a link and then the page loads, in between that time, there has been an auction among thousands of companies for the right to show you, you, this particular ad. This is a miracle of technical innovation. And they did that because there was money in it.

And so they figured out a way that when you click a link anywhere on the internet, when you click a link and then the page loads, in between that time, there has been an auction among thousands of companies for the right to show you, you, this particular ad. This is a miracle of technical innovation. And they did that because there was money in it.

And now the question is, do you think maybe they could figure out if somebody is under 16 or over 16? Also, that auction knows how old it thinks you are. Yeah, that's right. Exactly. They know everything about us. And they're saying, oh, what are you going to do? The kids are going to lie. Like, what are we supposed to do? So we're going to get age verification. Australia is pushing it.

And now the question is, do you think maybe they could figure out if somebody is under 16 or over 16? Also, that auction knows how old it thinks you are. Yeah, that's right. Exactly. They know everything about us. And they're saying, oh, what are you going to do? The kids are going to lie. Like, what are we supposed to do? So we're going to get age verification. Australia is pushing it.