Social Media Bans: Are We at a Global Turning Point? (Jonathan Haidt)

Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt is at the forefront of the
campaign to ban social media for under-16s and end what he calls
“phone-based childhoods”.


His book, The Anxious Generation, sparked a global reckoning that
has led countries like Australia and Spain to introduce laws
restricting access to social media platforms.


He spoke to Amol ahead of a meeting with UK health secretary Wes
Streeting about why he thinks we’re at a tipping point, whether
technology is making us “stupider” and how parents can reduce
their child’s smartphone use by organising local
“play-bourhoods”.


A Meta spokesperson said: “We agree with Jonathan Haidt that
keeping teens safe online is critical. That’s why we've made
meaningful changes - like Teen Accounts - to limit who can
contact teens, what they see, and their time on our apps.
However, two recent independent, large-scale studies in the UK
and Australia, including one from Oxford, show the complexity of
teen mental health and that many factors beyond social media
influence it. Any serious conversation should reflect all the
evidence and social media's positive role for teens: friendship,
skill-building and finding community."


Snapchat and TikTok were approached for comment.


TIMECODES


(00:03:45) Are we reaching a global turning point in how children
interact with technology?


(00:05:58) Understanding why governments have been slow to
respond


(00:10:23) How Meta has reacted to Jonathan Haidt’s research


(00:12:35) Exploring the claim that we are becoming ‘stupider’


(00:15:58) Phone-free schools


(00:19:13) The rise and impact of the loneliness epidemic


(00:24:38) Jonathan presents his evidence on the ‘correlation vs.
causation’ debate


(00:34:09) How Jonathan addresses criticism of his work


(00:35:17) What the science shows about social media, smartphones
and developing brains


(00:37:44) Why children benefit from facing adversity


(00:40:18) Jonathan Haidt’s message to children


(00:42:47) Jonathan Haidt’s message to parents


(00:49:48) Examining the argument that kids will always find ways
around social media restrictions


(00:53:08) Meta’s response


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Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday
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Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4.
He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before
that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The
Independent.


Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis
Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel
Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Dafydd Evans. The
editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.