Jonathan Haidt

I've never heard of any company that employs a sociologist. And what I mean by that is the changes that are coming to us because of tech are so earth shattering and so fast that they are changing the basic conditions of America's liberal democracy in ways that I think it may not survive.

I've never heard of any company that employs a sociologist. And what I mean by that is the changes that are coming to us because of tech are so earth shattering and so fast that they are changing the basic conditions of America's liberal democracy in ways that I think it may not survive.

That is all the assumptions made by the founding fathers about how we live together, how news travels, why passions affect the legislature, all those assumptions. might now be rendered moot in ways that we do not understand and no one is studying. And so anyway, that's just one of my causes for concern.

That is all the assumptions made by the founding fathers about how we live together, how news travels, why passions affect the legislature, all those assumptions. might now be rendered moot in ways that we do not understand and no one is studying. And so anyway, that's just one of my causes for concern.

I think so. And just to build on that, there was a lot of research on television. Television came in relatively slowly compared to what's happening now. And television was kind of hypnotic and some kids could watch for hours. I did sometimes. But just as like the move from heroin to fentanyl kills lots and lots of people, because fentanyl is so incredibly concentrated.

I think so. And just to build on that, there was a lot of research on television. Television came in relatively slowly compared to what's happening now. And television was kind of hypnotic and some kids could watch for hours. I did sometimes. But just as like the move from heroin to fentanyl kills lots and lots of people, because fentanyl is so incredibly concentrated.

The move from television to algorithm driven social media, where it's not just like mass marketed, we think this show, you know, Nielsen ratings say this show is popular. It's we have AI targeting this at you, we're targeting feed at you. So what happens when you have a society in which kids are consuming media, they're playing sports, they're reading books, they're doing all sorts of things.

The move from television to algorithm driven social media, where it's not just like mass marketed, we think this show, you know, Nielsen ratings say this show is popular. It's we have AI targeting this at you, we're targeting feed at you. So what happens when you have a society in which kids are consuming media, they're playing sports, they're reading books, they're doing all sorts of things.

What happens if the media consumption suddenly gets a hundred times more attractive or addictive or short-term dopamine focused? And I think there are huge, broad societal implications that we don't understand. And I'm very concerned by them.

What happens if the media consumption suddenly gets a hundred times more attractive or addictive or short-term dopamine focused? And I think there are huge, broad societal implications that we don't understand. And I'm very concerned by them.

I'm baby boomer by two years. I'm the end of the baby boom, 63. Got it.

I'm baby boomer by two years. I'm the end of the baby boom, 63. Got it.

Yeah, I think this is the right way to look at things, to look at how the changes in technology, even if they seem to be gradual, they can have just really outsized effects. When I wrote, I turned in the manuscript for the book in last August of 2023, and I'd only taught this undergrad class on flourishing once. I taught it as a grad class for a long time, but I teach at NYU Stern.

Yeah, I think this is the right way to look at things, to look at how the changes in technology, even if they seem to be gradual, they can have just really outsized effects. When I wrote, I turned in the manuscript for the book in last August of 2023, and I'd only taught this undergrad class on flourishing once. I taught it as a grad class for a long time, but I teach at NYU Stern.

And in the fall, I taught it again after I turned in the book. And one thing I really learned from my students is that TikTok and then YouTube Shorts, the ones copying it, Instagram Reels, they're uniquely horrible. And there are many reasons why they're horrible. And let's start with the contrast.

And in the fall, I taught it again after I turned in the book. And one thing I really learned from my students is that TikTok and then YouTube Shorts, the ones copying it, Instagram Reels, they're uniquely horrible. And there are many reasons why they're horrible. And let's start with the contrast.

So as a little experiment, I said to my class, how many of you watch Netflix every week, at least once a week? Almost every hand goes up. How many of you wish that Netflix was never invented? Nobody, no hands go up. because stories are wonderful. Humans live in stories. We tell stories. We've always told stories. The stories on TV are so much better today than they were when I was a kid.

So as a little experiment, I said to my class, how many of you watch Netflix every week, at least once a week? Almost every hand goes up. How many of you wish that Netflix was never invented? Nobody, no hands go up. because stories are wonderful. Humans live in stories. We tell stories. We've always told stories. The stories on TV are so much better today than they were when I was a kid.

I'm older than you guys, but I remember like, I Dream of Jeannie and, you know, The Brady Butt. There were stupid shows.

I'm older than you guys, but I remember like, I Dream of Jeannie and, you know, The Brady Butt. There were stupid shows.