Jay Shetty & Jonathan Haidt ON Why Social Media Has Caused a Mental Health Collapse

On today's episode of On Purpose, Jay Shetty welcomes Jonathan Haidt, a renowned social psychologist and professor at NYU's Stern School of Business.

Known for his research on morality and happiness, Haidt discusses the powerful impact of social media on young people's mental health.

In his latest book, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, Haidt argues that social media is a primary culprit for the increased anxiety levels. He discusses with Jay Shetty the mental health issues stemming from excessive social media use, and the global mental health crisis among youth.

Social Media Is Different Than TV

Jonathan Haidt explained to Jay Shetty how the current generation is more anxious than previous ones. It is an unprecedented mental health issue, particularly among young girls. A global surge in depression was observed around 2012-13, and it was correlated with the switch from flip phones to smartphones. Unlike past concerns over TV or video games, today's young people express a sense of entrapment by social media.

Historically, older generations saw the younger ones as more disorganized than themselves. However, Haidt emphasizes that this time, it isn't just another moral panic; increased hospital admissions and psychiatric emergencies are hard numbers to back the claim of an unprecedented mental health crisis. The professor argues that social media's impact significantly harms middle schoolers due to their developmental vulnerabilities during early puberty.

To combat this epidemic, Haidt suggests raising the minimum age for smartphone ownership and social media accounts to better protect children's mental health. While social media has its benefits for adults, especially through networking, it is a hazard for younger people, whose brains are still developing.

Fear vs. Anxiety

Jay Shetty argues that the word "anxiety" became normalized and overused, arguably to the point of desensitization. It is a common topic that affects many, including children, and we often underestimate its impact on daily functioning.

Haidt highlights the difference between fear and anxiety: fear is a direct response to immediate threats. It has an evolutionary purpose, and its role is to make us aware of dangers and keep us alive. Anxiety, on the other hand, is a more diffuse, persistent sense of unease. Chronic anxiety can lead to prolonged stress and elevated cortisol levels, ultimately resulting in various health issues.

Moreover, Haidt explains to Jay Shetty that the current mental health crisis among youth is aggravated by a shift towards constant emotional introspection and labeling. Instead of living different feelings, including exposure to challenges, many school programs focus on social-emotional learning. While talking about feelings has its benefits, Haidt argues that it also increases anxiety by encouraging children to dwell on their emotions.

Exposure to Adversity

Haidt believes that children should be exposed to real-world expreriences, where they can learn resilience. They can learn to overcome fears and how to navigate difficult situations, instead of being over-protected and constantly monitored; adversity is crucial in child development.

Today, schools reduce confrontational encounters between children to the point where any disagreement is monitored and stopped by an authority figure. Daily recess time has also been reduced to less than the mandated yard time for prisoners. Haidt warns that overprotectiveness can suppress children's natural coping mechanisms. He argues that a way to encourage natural development is to allow more time for unstructured play, where children can interact without guidance and face minor adversities independently.

Play Is Necessary

Jonathan Haidt emphasizes the importance of play for children, as play is a universal and essential part of mammalian development. Play helps train young brains for adulthood, because it involves physical risk and social interaction, crucial for growth. Historically, children played extensively until the 1990s. Then, increased societal fears about safety and the beginning of the internet led to more supervised activities, predominantly indoors.

Haidt told Jay Shetty that children's play involves physical activity, which is essential for developing social skills and resilience. Unlike video games, physical play involves risks and teaches children how to navigate real-world challenges. Our primate relatives, the gorillas, naturally engage in play as a form of learning.

Jay Shetty observed that as technological entertainment evolved, children started to prefer indoor activities, making it hard to encourage them to engage in physical play. Haidt explained that technology has become more sophisticated and developed to cater directly to children's desires - this is an important reason why video games and online interactions are more appealing to them than physical activities.

Technology's Effects on Boys

Haidt also notes a gender difference in the impact of technology: boys are more drawn to video games and online activities like pornography. Modern technologies provide immediate gratification and are tailored to their interests, making real-world interactions and challenges seem less appealing. He explained to Jay Shetty how this trend risks losing boys to immersive technologies, which cater to their wants over their developmental needs.

Historically, boys have undergone initiation rites that involve toughness and skill-building. They were essential for their transition from childhood to adulthood. However, today's boys are more likely to take the easy way out, which leads them to underdevelopment in skills and virtues.

The professor notes that Gen Z boys (born after 1996) grew up with smartphones and social media, which greatly impacted their mental health and development. Conversely, the millennial generation matured before the widespread use of smartphones; therefore, their developmental processes were concluded when they started using modern technology.

Enforcing Age Regulations

Jay Shetty and Jonathan Haidt discuss the challenges of modern parenting. More parents nowadays rely on iPads and technology as babysitters. The professor argues that individual parents are not to blame because societal changes make it difficult to avoid this reliance. However, he suggests enforcing age restrictions to curb technology's impact on children's young, impressionable minds.

According to Haidt, children should only have access to social media after the age of sixteen, while access to a smartphone should only start at fourteen. Moreover, he advocates for phone-free schools and more free, independent play for children.

Free the Anxious Generation

Jay Shetty and Jonathan Haidt discuss actionable steps to address the impact of technology on children. Haidt highlights the global nature of the mental health crisis - he urges parents worldwide to recognize the problem and take collective action. He encourages parents to talk to each other about delaying smartphones and advocating for phone-free schools.

The professor told Jay Shetty that some countries like France and Australia have implemented phone-free school policies, and parents in other countries are pushing for similar measures. He notes that overprotective parenting and the desire to stay in constant contact with children prevent change in the U.S. Yet he argues that phone-free schools will improve learning and social interactions.

If you are interested to know more about this movement, you can find available resources on platforms like anxiousgeneration.com, smartphonefreeschools.org, and smartphonefreechildhood.co.uk. They offer guidance on advocating for these changes and starting local movements.

Technology's Effects on Girls

Technological advancement and the rise of social media also influence girls. For them, it has more adverse effects than on boys. Haidt explained to Jay Shetty that girls' mental health was stable until 2012, when it sharply deteriorated, while boys' decline was more gradual.

Girls are more drawn to social interactions and relationships, which makes social media particularly appealing yet harmful. They face constant social comparison and often feel inadequate when contrasting themselves to idealized images. Haidt also told Jay Shetty that girls suffer more from relational aggression, amplified by social media, and are more frequently targeted by sexual predators. These factors make a phone-based childhood particularly detrimental for girls compared to a play-based childhood.

The Need for Identity Verification on Social Media

Jay Shetty and Jonathan Haidt discuss the necessity of verifying identities on social media to protect children from online predators and harmful interactions. Haidt stresses that while real-life stranger abductions are rare, online dangers are more common. For example, platforms like Instagram allow strangers to reach and exploit children. Therefore, the professor advocates for raising the minimum age for social media to sixteen and making identity verification mandatory.

Another danger that Jonathan Haidt shared with Jay Shetty is the sextortion, where criminal gangs trick boys into sending explicit photos and then blackmail them. To prevent this from happening, the professor believes that social media platforms need to require users to provide some form of identification before registering. Moreover, he argues that the responsibility to protect children should not solely fall on parents but also on the platforms and policymakers.

Incorporating Ancient Wisdom into the Modern World

Jonathan Haidt shares with Jay Shetty a historical shift in societal values, where the highest buildings were the most important - it progressed from worship places to government buildings, corporate offices, and now tech companies. He dedicated a chapter in his book to this phenomenon, about spiritual elevation and degradation.

Researching ancient wisdom and its relevance to modern psychology, Haidt discovered that modern technologies, particularly smartphones, contradict ancient insights on living a fulfilling life. Phones keep people indoors, distracted, and disconnected from traditional spiritual practices. To reconnect with your higher purpose, he suggests meditating and creating sacred moments free from smartphone disruption.

The professor advocates for controlling your attention and becoming aware of how technology drains it. He suggests reducing notifications and social media usage, to reclaim mental capacity. Moreover, he stresses the need for real, face-to-face interactions and time in nature to rehumanize and respatialize our lives.

Fighting Addiction Together

Jay Shetty and Jonathan Haidt discuss the need for positive intentions in creating impactful work. Haidt explains that most businesses improve the world by meeting genuine needs. Therefore, creating beneficial products can inherently contribute to societal progress.

When asked about social media platforms meeting users' needs, many of Haidt's students at NYU Stern School of Business answered that they wished these platforms didn't exist. These responses highlight the discrepancy between user experience and the business model. On social media, the users are the product and the advertisers the customers. Also the dynamic is different from typical consumer goods, because it perpetuates a cycle of dependence and societal pressure.

Haidt urges tech companies to be more responsible and regulated to reduce the harm caused by these outlets. By spreading awareness and creating a platform for concerned users (especially parents) to request phone-free schools and more strict social media regulations, the professor hopes to help more and more people become detached from the addiction that social media created.

More From Jay Shetty

Listen to the entire On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast episode on “Jonathan Haidt ON Why Social Media Has Caused a Mental Health Collapse & #1 Way to Solve Your Anxiety” now in the iTunes store or on Spotify. For more inspirational stories and messages like this, check out Jay’s website at jayshetty.me.