Jonathan Haidt

And so what I can say for sure to parents whose kids are late teens is it's not too late, but they have to regain control of their attention. They have to largely get off of social media. I'm not going to say that boys shouldn't play video games at all, but just keep an eye on their dopamine circuits.

And so what I can say for sure to parents whose kids are late teens is it's not too late, but they have to regain control of their attention. They have to largely get off of social media. I'm not going to say that boys shouldn't play video games at all, but just keep an eye on their dopamine circuits.

Anything they're doing every day for an hour or two, there's a risk that it's changing them in ways that make everything else more boring. So do not give up hope. It's hard to do it yourself. So to say to your 17-year-old daughter, you need to get off social media, even though all your friends are still on it. That's a social death sentence.

Anything they're doing every day for an hour or two, there's a risk that it's changing them in ways that make everything else more boring. So do not give up hope. It's hard to do it yourself. So to say to your 17-year-old daughter, you need to get off social media, even though all your friends are still on it. That's a social death sentence.

It's going to be very hard to persuade your girl to do that. So the trick is do it in a group. And that's why the class is so successful because they're all supporting each other. They're all doing it. And then sometimes they go out together.

It's going to be very hard to persuade your girl to do that. So the trick is do it in a group. And that's why the class is so successful because they're all supporting each other. They're all doing it. And then sometimes they go out together.

That's right. Especially when your kids are younger, you know, we all know the parents of our kids' friends because we arrange pickups and birthday parties and all that. So if you get a group of friends, the parents all agree to do this. We're going to follow the four norms that I lay out in the book. Then it's actually much easier and it's a lot more fun.

That's right. Especially when your kids are younger, you know, we all know the parents of our kids' friends because we arrange pickups and birthday parties and all that. So if you get a group of friends, the parents all agree to do this. We're going to follow the four norms that I lay out in the book. Then it's actually much easier and it's a lot more fun.

So the four norms to roll back the phone-based childhood are pretty simple. They are, first, no smartphone before high school or age 14. You want to communicate with your kid? Give them a flip phone. Give them a basic phone. Give them a gab phone, a pinwheel phone. There's all kinds of options that don't have a browser, don't have social media. And I think the way to think about it is this.

So the four norms to roll back the phone-based childhood are pretty simple. They are, first, no smartphone before high school or age 14. You want to communicate with your kid? Give them a flip phone. Give them a basic phone. Give them a gab phone, a pinwheel phone. There's all kinds of options that don't have a browser, don't have social media. And I think the way to think about it is this.

Across the Western world, we all have our previous iPhone in a drawer someplace, and we all give that to our two-year-old. I just saw an incredible study. It found that 40% of American two-year-olds have their own iPad. And so we're just giving this advanced technology to two-year-olds. Mm-hmm. Don't do that.

Across the Western world, we all have our previous iPhone in a drawer someplace, and we all give that to our two-year-old. I just saw an incredible study. It found that 40% of American two-year-olds have their own iPad. And so we're just giving this advanced technology to two-year-olds. Mm-hmm. Don't do that.

Okay. But we do it, I think, a large part of it is because we all discovered just give them the iPad and they're quiet. It's a digital pacifier. It's a digital pacifier. It's like giving them a little bit of opium.

Okay. But we do it, I think, a large part of it is because we all discovered just give them the iPad and they're quiet. It's a digital pacifier. It's a digital pacifier. It's like giving them a little bit of opium.

So it's very effective, but I think it's also very damaging. So my point is, don't start with that stuff. I mean, they're going to have that eventually. You know, give them, you know, if they're in third, fourth grade, you want to send them out into the world, give them a phone watch, not an Apple watch that has too much stuff on it, but just a phone watch.

So it's very effective, but I think it's also very damaging. So my point is, don't start with that stuff. I mean, they're going to have that eventually. You know, give them, you know, if they're in third, fourth grade, you want to send them out into the world, give them a phone watch, not an Apple watch that has too much stuff on it, but just a phone watch.

I gave my daughter, I think it was called the Gizmo gadget. She could call three phone numbers. That was it. And that was great for sending her out in the world. So start real simple. Now, in high school, then many will want to wait later, but I'm just trying to propose a norm. What if there's a norm that we all adopt as a minimum? That would have so much benefit for all of us.

I gave my daughter, I think it was called the Gizmo gadget. She could call three phone numbers. That was it. And that was great for sending her out in the world. So start real simple. Now, in high school, then many will want to wait later, but I'm just trying to propose a norm. What if there's a norm that we all adopt as a minimum? That would have so much benefit for all of us.

So, again, the first norm, no smartphone for high school. Second norm, no social media until 16. And here's where what we really need is a law implementing a minimum age, and Australia has done that for us. It'll take effect November, and let's hope it works smoothly, and then a lot of countries will follow.

So, again, the first norm, no smartphone for high school. Second norm, no social media until 16. And here's where what we really need is a law implementing a minimum age, and Australia has done that for us. It'll take effect November, and let's hope it works smoothly, and then a lot of countries will follow.