How Smartphones & Social Media Impact Mental Health & the Realistic Solutions | Dr. Jonathan Haidt
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What is the 'Great Rewiring of Childhood' and when did smartphones change kids' lives?
Welcome to the Huberman Lab Podcast, where we discuss science and science-based tools for everyday life. I'm Andrew Huberman, and I'm a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. My guest today is Dr. Jonathan Haidt. Dr. Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist and professor at New York University. He is also the author of several important bestselling books, including The Coddling of the American Mind, and more recently, The Anxious Generation, How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. And today we talk mainly about the anxious generation. However, it is not a purely pessimistic conversation. Indeed, Dr. Haidt offers several clear solutions to the mental health crisis that now exists and that we have all created through the use of smartphones, in particular in kids entering and transitioning through puberty.
During today's episode, we discussed so-called critical or sensitive periods for social development, for the development of an understanding about competition and violence, about sex and how boys and girls are impacted differently by smartphone use and the specific solutions that do exist and that Dr. Hite has created that can place boys and girls as well as young adults back on the trajectory of mental health. So today's discussion is really one that brings together an understanding of neurobiology, psychology, social psychology, and technology in ways that are designed to serve the most critical members of our species, meaning our youth. And for those that have already gone through youth, today's discussion is also relevant to you.
Because as many of you know, and perhaps have experienced, most everybody nowadays is challenged in some way by smartphones, both for the utility and the ways in which they can diminish our social and family interactions, academic performance, and more. So thanks to Dr. Haidt, today's discussion really is a solution-based one. And it's one that is sure to educate, inform, and inspire specific positive action. Before we begin, I'd like to emphasize that this podcast is separate from my teaching and research roles at Stanford. It is, however, part of my desire and effort to bring zero cost to consumer information about science and science-related tools to the general public. In keeping with that theme, I'd like to thank the sponsors of today's podcast.
Our first sponsor is Helix Sleep. Helix Sleep makes mattresses and pillows that are customized to your unique sleep needs. Now, I've spoken many times before on this and other podcasts about the fact that sleep is the foundation for mental health, physical health, and performance. Now, one of the key things to getting a great night's sleep is to make sure that you sleep on a mattress designed specifically for your sleep needs. And that's what Helix Sleep mattresses are designed to accomplish. If you go to the Helix website and take a brief two-minute quiz, it asks you questions such as, do you sleep on your back, your side, or your stomach? Do you tend to run hot or cold during the night? Maybe you know, maybe you don't know the answers to those questions.
In any case, they'll match you to the ideal mattress for your unique sleep needs. For me, that turned out to be the Dusk Helix mattress. I started sleeping on a Dusk mattress about three and a half years ago, and it's been far and away the best sleep that I've ever had. So if you'd like to try Helix mattress designed for your unique sleep needs, you can go to helixsleep.com slash Huberman, take that brief two-minute sleep quiz, and Helix will match you to a mattress that's ideal for your unique sleep needs. Right now, Helix is offering 20% off mattresses and two free pillows. Again, that's helixsleep.com slash Huberman to get 20% off and two free pillows. Today's episode is also brought to us by AeroPress.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the 'Great Rewiring of Childhood' and when did smartphones change kids' lives?
0:00–13:08
2
How did teen mental health trends shift after 2012 and which data show a girls' 'hockey stick' rise?
13:08–18:26
3
How did childhood change from play-based to phone-based and what are the three acts of this tragedy?
18:26–1:13:43
4
How do smartphones and social media differently affect girls’ and boys’ mental health and suicide risk?
1:13:43–1:16:24
5
What is a puberty-sensitive period and how does dopamine-driven plasticity change adolescent brain development?
1:16:24–1:21:40
6
What four norms does Jonathan Haidt recommend to restore a healthy childhood and reduce harm from screens?
1:21:40–1:26:35
7
How can parents, schools and policymakers take collective action to implement phone-free childhoods and support play?
1:26:35–2:26:50
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Huberman Lab
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