S2E2 | Why Social Media Harms Girls More Than Boys | The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt | The Messy Podcast
This podcast explores the profound impact of the "phone-based childhood" on the current generation of young people, also called Gen Z. It delves into the ways that the rapid shift to smartphones and social media has fundamentally changed childhood, leading to significant challenges. The podcast examines four foundational harms that have emerged due to the rise of this phone-based childhood, namely social deprivation, sleep deprivation, attention fragmentation, and addiction.Social Deprivation: The podcast will explore how the rise of smartphones has led to a decline in face-to-face interactions among young people. It will discuss how time spent with friends has decreased since the introduction of smartphones and how this affects social development. It will also touch on the fact that the quality of in-person interactions is reduced by the presence of phones.Sleep Deprivation: The podcast will cover how smartphone use has exacerbated the struggle of getting adequate sleep among teens. It will also delve into how sleep deprivation impacts school performance, cognitive abilities, and overall health and well-being. It will also explore how late-night use of screens disturbs sleep.Attention Fragmentation: The podcast will discuss how constant notifications and the nature of the internet have fragmented the attention spans of young people. It will cover how this impacts their ability to focus, complete tasks, and succeed academically. The podcast will also discuss how the mere presence of a phone reduces cognitive capacity.Addiction: The podcast will explore how the design of many apps are meant to "hook" users using behavioral techniques, similar to how slot machines hook gamblers. It will describe the reward system and how the brain is affected by the release of dopamine. It will also cover the symptoms of withdrawal and how they manifest in young people.The podcast will examine how these four foundational harms contribute to a decline in mental health among children and adolescents. It will also explore how the shift to a phone-based childhood has impacted learning. It will further discuss the opportunity cost of time spent on devices, including the loss of other enriching activities.While social media and digital technologies offer some benefits, such as providing connection for marginalized groups, the podcast will explore evidence suggesting that the harms outweigh the benefits for most adolescents. The podcast will also discuss the need to develop a more nuanced understanding of the digital landscape and the need for regulations to protect children. The podcast will present research showing how the use of these technologies is often more harmful for pre-teens than teens.