Jonathan Haidt

And they're brilliant as individuals, but they can't do things together. So we humans, we have this magical ability. Mm-hmm. And you know this, if you traveled a lot, sometimes you're in a country where you don't speak the language, but you can still kind of like, you can still kind of communicate because we all understand, oh yeah, I think he probably is trying to find the bathroom or whatever.

And they're brilliant as individuals, but they can't do things together. So we humans, we have this magical ability. Mm-hmm. And you know this, if you traveled a lot, sometimes you're in a country where you don't speak the language, but you can still kind of like, you can still kind of communicate because we all understand, oh yeah, I think he probably is trying to find the bathroom or whatever.

So we have this joint attention. And it just occurred to me now as you were talking about Zoom, Zoom, that kills that. Like you don't, I mean, you don't, at least you don't have it as much. And then to bring it back to the kids, you know, my son was laughing his head off, but he wasn't in the room with anyone else. And so I think there's really something missing.

So we have this joint attention. And it just occurred to me now as you were talking about Zoom, Zoom, that kills that. Like you don't, I mean, you don't, at least you don't have it as much. And then to bring it back to the kids, you know, my son was laughing his head off, but he wasn't in the room with anyone else. And so I think there's really something missing.

You don't have the joint attention and the shared laughter is not as good if you're not in the room.

You don't have the joint attention and the shared laughter is not as good if you're not in the room.

That's right. The game should be a sort of a thing that brings you together in person. That's what I felt.

That's right. The game should be a sort of a thing that brings you together in person. That's what I felt.

Oh, good. So let's bring in Bob Putnam here because I listened to your conversation. Yeah, you're right. That was so good. I mean, he is absolutely amazing.

Oh, good. So let's bring in Bob Putnam here because I listened to your conversation. Yeah, you're right. That was so good. I mean, he is absolutely amazing.

So for everybody listening, he wrote the famous book Bowling Alone. And so we social scientists, we all love his work. We've been citing him certainly for 25 years. His work is really important here because Putnam describes how up through the mid-'70s, America had a lot of social capital, a lot of trust. So even though there's a lot of crime, We all played outside.

So for everybody listening, he wrote the famous book Bowling Alone. And so we social scientists, we all love his work. We've been citing him certainly for 25 years. His work is really important here because Putnam describes how up through the mid-'70s, America had a lot of social capital, a lot of trust. So even though there's a lot of crime, We all played outside.

And, you know, we all knew, like, if I wipe out on my bicycle and am badly hurt, my friend could knock on any door and say, can you call his mom? But after the 70s, it begins declining our trust in each other. And so the reason we don't let our kids out in the 90s is not because the world's getting more dangerous. It's actually getting safer. It's because we're losing trust in our neighbors.

And, you know, we all knew, like, if I wipe out on my bicycle and am badly hurt, my friend could knock on any door and say, can you call his mom? But after the 70s, it begins declining our trust in each other. And so the reason we don't let our kids out in the 90s is not because the world's getting more dangerous. It's actually getting safer. It's because we're losing trust in our neighbors.

We're losing the sense of community. And once we lose the sense of community, the sense that all of us are at least a little bit responsible for other people's kids, Now it's like, as we just, as we joked about, like, you know, you say, I walked by a playground. Oh, no, you're a man. You can't go near a playground. You're going to molest a child.

We're losing the sense of community. And once we lose the sense of community, the sense that all of us are at least a little bit responsible for other people's kids, Now it's like, as we just, as we joked about, like, you know, you say, I walked by a playground. Oh, no, you're a man. You can't go near a playground. You're going to molest a child.

So as we all freaked out about that, and it's not that there was nothing to freak out about, but boy, did we overdo it by saying, like, let's just not get involved in anyone else's child. Now it falls all on the mother. Now the responsibility falls especially on the mother. And if a kid is seen playing outside without supervision, all the blame goes to the mother. How dare you?

So as we all freaked out about that, and it's not that there was nothing to freak out about, but boy, did we overdo it by saying, like, let's just not get involved in anyone else's child. Now it falls all on the mother. Now the responsibility falls especially on the mother. And if a kid is seen playing outside without supervision, all the blame goes to the mother. How dare you?

He could be abducted.

He could be abducted.