Jonathan Haidt is the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business.
Psychologist Jonathan Haidt says that because we “over-protect our children in the real world and under-protect them online,” they are more likely to suffer from mental illness and even have suicidal thoughts. It says that there is. His new book, An Anxious Generation, places the blame on Big Tech and its “massive rewiring of childhood” through smartphones and social media.
In 2006, 13-year-old Megan Meyer hanged herself with a belt because she was spending too much time on MySpace and a classmate’s mother was bullying her with a fake name. Megan’s tragedy happened in the US Here in Hong Kong, a person under the age of 24 takes their own life every 9.3 days. City University found in a study that nearly a third of young people aged 10 to 14 are potentially suicidal.
Psychologist Haidt writes that children need to learn the skills they need to succeed in society. However, the problem is that they live in a smartphone separate from reality. Children are mainly affected by:
- Social deprivation: Since 2012, the amount of time adolescents spend face-to-face with friends has decreased by 50%.
- Sleep deprivation: Sleep deprivation caused by smartphones can lead to depression anxiety, irritability, and cognitive impairment.
- Fragmented attention: Phones constantly interrupt us, which seriously impairs our ability to concentrate.
- Addiction: Children use their phones in search of the next “dopamine hit,” and big tech companies ruthlessly encourage this.
“Just as the immune system needs exposure to germs…children need to be exposed to setbacks, failures, shocks, and stumbles in order to develop strength and independence.”
Mr. Haidt recommends the following reforms:
- Until the age of 14, children should only have a dumbphone.
- You must not access social media until you are 16 years old. Because constant barking can permanently damage your self-esteem.
- Cell phones should be banned in schools.
- Children should play freely “to overcome anxiety and develop social skills to become (well-rounded) young adults.”
Haidt, a professor of ethical leadership at New York University, has written several books, including “Sweet the American Heart.” His books are available from the Bookazine chain of six stores where we found “The Anxious Generation.”
An anxious generation: How the massive rewiring of childhood is driving an epidemic of mental illness Is it driving an epidemic of mental illness? Written by Jonathan Haidt (2024) Penguin Press ISBN-10: 0593655036 ISBN-13: 978-0593655030
The spoiled American heart: How good intentions and bad ideas lead a generation to failure. Written by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt Penguin Books (2019) ISBN-10: 0735224919 ISBN-13: 978-0735224919