Habits and Hustle
Episode 447: Jonathan Haidt: Smartphones and the Anxious Generation - What Parents Need to Know
06 May 2025
What if smartphones are causing the youth mental health crisis? In this episode of the Habits and Hustle podcast, I talk with social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, as he reveals how the "great rewiring of childhood" between 2010-2015 led to alarming increases in anxiety and depression among children and teens. We discuss how we've created a contradictory world of overprotection in real life but underprotection online, leaving children vulnerable to predators and mental health challenges. We also dive into why play is essential (he calls it "Vitamin P"), how technology fragments attention spans, and why collective action is our best hope for change. Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist, Professor at NYU, and co-founder of Let Grow, an organization dedicated to promoting childhood independence. His books include "The Anxious Generation" and "The Coddling of the American Mind." What We Discuss: 04:59 The Anxious Generation: Understanding the Rise of Anxiety 10:00 Social Media's Impact on Girls vs. Boys 14:46 The Importance of Play in Child Development 25:04 The Concept of Anti-Fragility in Children 27:56 The Importance of Risk in Child Development 32:18 The Case for Phone-Free Schools 33:55 The Impact of Technology on Education 36:08 Declining Test Scores and Educational Equity 39:46 The Dangers of Multitasking 41:12 Screen Time: Good vs. Bad Uses 43:17 Social Skills and Mental Health Crisis 44:43 The Challenges Boys Face Today 58:56 The Dangers of Social Media Platforms 01:00:49 Resources for Parents and Educators …and more! Thank you to our sponsors: Therasage: Head over to therasage.com and use code Be Bold for 15% off TruNiagen: Head over to truniagen.com and use code HUSTLE20 to get $20 off any purchase over $100. Magic Mind: Head over to www.magicmind.com/jen and use code Jen at checkout. Air Doctor: Go to airdoctorpro.com and use promo code HUSTLE for up to $300 off and a 3-year warranty on air purifiers. Bio.me: Link to daily prebiotic fiber here, code Jennifer20 for 20% off. Momentous: Shop this link and use code Jen for 20% off Find more from Jen: Website: https://www.jennifercohen.com/ Instagram: @therealjencohen Books: https://www.jennifercohen.com/books Speaking: https://www.jennifercohen.com/speaking-engagement Find more from Jonathan Haidt: Website: https://jonathanhaidt.com/ https://www.afterbabel.com/ https://letgrow.org/ https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanhaidt/
Full Episode
Hi guys, it's Tony Robbins. You're listening to Habits & Hustle. Crush it.
In this episode of Habits & Hustle, I'm joined by Dr. Jonathan Haidt. He's an NYU professor and the best-selling author of the book, Anxious Generation. We explore how smartphones and social media are reshaping childhood and not for the better.
We dive into the alarming rise in depression, anxiety, and suicide among young people and how screen time disrupt critical psychological development from resilience to conflict resolution. Dr. Haidt also shares why phones affect boys and girls differently, the science behind how screens rewire the brain, and his four key recommendations for healthier tech use.
Whether you're a parent, teacher, or just someone who cares about mental health, this conversation is a must listen. Before we dive into today's episode, I first want to thank our sponsor, Therasage. Their tri-light panel has become my favorite biohacking thing for healing my body. It's a portable red light panel that I simply cannot live without. I literally bring it with me everywhere I go.
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All right, so today on the podcast, we have Jonathan Haidt, who is the author of The Anxious Generation, probably, in my opinion, and I think almost every parent I know's opinion, one of the best books of, I think, of our decade. It is so timely, and I am just honored to have you on this podcast. Well, thank you.
It's a pleasure to be here.
It's really a pleasure to have you. I don't even know where to begin with you because you talk so much about the rise of anxiety and depression in our youth and social media, but it's not even that. I mean, I think I want to start by asking you, what was the tipping point for you in why you even wrote the book?
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