Jonathan Haidt

I'll tell you the difference. Federal prisoners, they're guaranteed two hours a day of outdoor time.

I'll tell you the difference. Federal prisoners, they're guaranteed two hours a day of outdoor time.

And the thing is actually wrestle and bite each other.

And the thing is actually wrestle and bite each other.

That's right. And those parents were kids. All of those parents had free range childhoods. All of them got to play outside. And the most exciting, I always do this with older audiences. Think of the most exciting things in childhood. Call them to your mind. Remember what it was like to be a kid. Were your parents there? Were you watching a screen?

That's right. And those parents were kids. All of those parents had free range childhoods. All of them got to play outside. And the most exciting, I always do this with older audiences. Think of the most exciting things in childhood. Call them to your mind. Remember what it was like to be a kid. Were your parents there? Were you watching a screen?

No, it's outdoors, running around with friends, hanging out. And that's exactly what we've sucked out of childhood and replaced it with mindless entertainment, 15-second videos.

No, it's outdoors, running around with friends, hanging out. And that's exactly what we've sucked out of childhood and replaced it with mindless entertainment, 15-second videos.

Well, start with the big picture, which is what is childhood for? And what is play for? And because we're mammals, mammals have this... really interesting evolution of having much more investment in the child. I mean, our women literally make food off of the skin of their chest and feed it to, you know? Oh, I know. So it's a huge sacrifice. It's a huge gift to the kids.

Well, start with the big picture, which is what is childhood for? And what is play for? And because we're mammals, mammals have this... really interesting evolution of having much more investment in the child. I mean, our women literally make food off of the skin of their chest and feed it to, you know? Oh, I know. So it's a huge sacrifice. It's a huge gift to the kids.

And so mammals have this long childhood. And the reason what it does is it makes possible having a large brain. And especially really social mammals like chimpanzees and humans. How do you wire up that brain? And that's why we have this very long childhood. And the way you wire up a brain is by exploring, trying things, and failing. Explore, try, fail, over and over and over again.

And so mammals have this long childhood. And the reason what it does is it makes possible having a large brain. And especially really social mammals like chimpanzees and humans. How do you wire up that brain? And that's why we have this very long childhood. And the way you wire up a brain is by exploring, trying things, and failing. Explore, try, fail, over and over and over again.

So when a kid tries to build a block tower, it falls over, they do it again. So play builds brains. It's all the things you just said. Once they can master their, you know, building block towers and running and that stuff, then it becomes social. And it's exactly that. It's basically, these are the skills of democracy. In a democracy, the whole idea is we are self-governing.

So when a kid tries to build a block tower, it falls over, they do it again. So play builds brains. It's all the things you just said. Once they can master their, you know, building block towers and running and that stuff, then it becomes social. And it's exactly that. It's basically, these are the skills of democracy. In a democracy, the whole idea is we are self-governing.

We make the rules ourselves. We enforce them ourselves. That was the amazing innovation of the American experiment, it's called. And how do you learn to be self-governing? By being self-governing as a child.

We make the rules ourselves. We enforce them ourselves. That was the amazing innovation of the American experiment, it's called. And how do you learn to be self-governing? By being self-governing as a child.

So when the kids are on the playground, it's the things you said. They have to choose what to do. Like, what game should we play? Well, some of us want to play, well, let's work it out. Okay, we'll do yours today. We'll do that one tomorrow. You have to make the rules and you have to enforce the rules. Wait, that was out of bounds. No, it wasn't. And you adjudicate it.

So when the kids are on the playground, it's the things you said. They have to choose what to do. Like, what game should we play? Well, some of us want to play, well, let's work it out. Okay, we'll do yours today. We'll do that one tomorrow. You have to make the rules and you have to enforce the rules. Wait, that was out of bounds. No, it wasn't. And you adjudicate it.

But what we've been training our kids to do since the 90s, since we got them hyper-supervised all the time, is we're training them to report each other to the adult. So if there's a conflict, he hit me. Yeah. And that's training for authoritarianism. There's always an authority who will enforce things. We don't have to work it out ourselves. Damn.

But what we've been training our kids to do since the 90s, since we got them hyper-supervised all the time, is we're training them to report each other to the adult. So if there's a conflict, he hit me. Yeah. And that's training for authoritarianism. There's always an authority who will enforce things. We don't have to work it out ourselves. Damn.