The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt | The Messy Podcast

• S3E4 | Parenting in the Digital Age | The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt | The Messy Podcast

  This podcast explores ways schools can address the increase in mental health issues and disengagement among students by focusing on two key strategies: becoming phone-free and increasing opportunities for unstructured free play.The podcast will examine how aphone ban throughout the entire school day, where students store their phones in lockers or pouches, can reduce social comparison and the pull to the virtual world, and how it can lead to improved academic performance. It will also look into the ineffectiveness of policies that only ban phones during class time, which may incentivize students to hide phone use during class and increase use after class.The podcast will also delve into the importance ofunstructured free play, highlighting the benefits of a "Play Club" with loose parts and minimal adult supervision, which can foster social skills and reduce anxiety. The podcast will discuss how free play can help students develop crucial skills such as creativity, innovation, critical thinking, and collaboration. Additionally, the podcast will cover how schools can improve recess by giving students more of it, creating better playgrounds, and reducing rules. The podcast will also explore the concept of adventure playgrounds, including junk playgrounds and nature playgrounds.The podcast will also discuss the"Let Grow Project", a homework assignment that asks children to do something they have never done before on their own, to increase their sense of competence and parents' willingness to give children more autonomy. The podcast will also touch on the issue of declining engagement among boys, and how schools can address this by offering more vocational training and hiring more male teachers.The podcast will investigatethe evidence and research that show how technology, particularly smartphones, can interfere with learning and contribute to mental health issues. It will also examine how the decline in test scores in the United States can be linked to the increased use of smartphones.Ultimately, the podcast will propose that by going phone-free, becoming play-full, and implementing programs like the Let Grow Project, schools can create a healthier environment for children and reverse the trend of increasing anxiety and depression in schools.

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• S3E3 | Schools as Safe Havens | The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt | The Messy Podcast

  This podcast explores how tech companies and governments can act to better protect children and adolescents in the digital age.Key topics include:The addictive nature of social media: Social media platforms employ design features that exploit vulnerabilities in human psychology, creating "social-validation feedback loops" that encourage users to spend more time on their apps. These techniques include "pull to refresh" mechanisms, infinite scroll, and the use of algorithms to deliver content designed to keep users engaged.The "race to the bottom of the brain stem": Tech companies compete for users’ attention by using increasingly aggressive methods to grab their attention and keep them hooked. The advertising-driven business model turns users into the product, and personalization of content further enhances the power of social media companies.The mental health crisis among teens: The constant need for validation and the addictive nature of social media are contributing to a mental health crisis among teenagers.The ineffectiveness of current regulations: Current laws such as the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which sets the age of internet adulthood at 13, are insufficient to protect children and adolescents. The age of 13 was a political compromise and is too young, according to the author, who argues for raising the age of internet adulthood to 16.The need for government intervention: Governments need to change policies to better protect children online, including enacting laws that require companies to treat minors differently than adults, and that include an extra duty of care.The Age Appropriate Design Code (AADC): The AADC, first enacted in the U.K., is an example of legislation that requires companies to design their services in the best interests of children. The code sets default privacy settings for minors as private, and platforms must be transparent about their privacy policies.Age Verification: The podcast discusses various methods of age verification, such as using government-issued IDs, and also the problems with such methods. Alternative age verification methods that would allow for anonymous use of websites are discussed, such as the use of blockchain technology or having a network of people vouch for each other.Device-based verification: The podcast also looks at the use of a device based age verification, where parents can mark their child's phones, tablets and computers as belonging to an underage user.The need for more real-world experience: The podcast emphasizes the importance of encouraging children to spend time in the real world and engage in play, by making sure there are more play opportunities in schools, and also through changing zoning laws to create more mixed-use spaces where people of all ages can interact.The importance of vocational education: The podcast also suggests that vocational programs can help young people, especially boys, as they transition to adulthood.The podcast also calls for governments to narrow neglect laws and give parents the confidence to allow their children some unsupervised time without fear of legal intervention.

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• S3E2 | What Governments Must Do | The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt | The Messy Podcast

  This podcast will discusscollective action problems and how they relate to childhood and technology.Collective action problems occur when individuals act in their own self-interest, which leads to a negative outcome for everyone.An example of this is when kids want to get smartphones and social media accounts because their peers have them.Parents feel pressure to give their children smartphones to fit in, even though they may not want to.This leads to a "stable but unfortunate equilibrium" where everyone has a smartphone, and children are not having a play-based childhood.The podcast will cover howcollective action problems can be overcome.Four main types ofcollective response are discussed:The podcast will also discuss how technology companies and schools can work together to reverse the transition from play-based to phone-based childhood.The podcast will also discuss the importance of giving children independence and the need to protect them from online harms.The podcast will cite research that explores these issues.The podcast recognizes that the psychological principles that will be discussed are not universally applicable.The podcast acknowledges the challenges in making changes and the need to try new policies and measure the outcomes.The podcast aims to promote healthier childhoods.

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  13:47
• S3E1 | The Four Foundations of Reform | The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt | The Messy Podcast

  This podcast explores the idea that a phone-based life can lead to spiritual degradation. It examines how technology is changing us and how it affects our spirituality. The podcast draws on insights from academic sources and ancient traditions to explain how a phone-based life can pull people downward on a vertical dimension called the divinity axis, while actions such as charity and gratitude can elevate people.The podcast will discuss how virtual life lacks the structure of real life and can lead to feelings of anomie. It will explore how our phones affect our minds, and how they cause us to be more self-focused and judgmental.The podcast will also explore six spiritual practices that can help to improve well-being:Shared sacredness: The podcast discusses how rituals and practices can bring people together and lift them out of the profane realm.Embodiment: The podcast will examine the importance of movement and being present in the physical world, which is often lost in the virtual world.Stillness, silence, and focus: The podcast explores how practices like meditation can calm the mind and promote mental clarity.Self-transcendence: The podcast looks at how spiritual practices can help us to lose our sense of self and connect to something larger.Being slow to anger and quick to forgive: The podcast will discuss the importance of forgiveness in maintaining relationships and improving mental health.Finding awe in nature: The podcast examines how experiencing the beauty of nature can promote self-transcendence and improve well-being.The podcast will also discuss the concept of a "God-shaped hole," or a yearning for meaning, connection, and spiritual elevation. It will also discuss how to take back control of our lives and our inputs in order to live above zero on the divinity dimension. The podcast will explore how a phone-based life can negatively affect our spiritual well-being by pulling us downward on this dimension, and will offer ways to counteract those effects.

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  23:10
• S2E4 | Spiritual Degradation | The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt | The Messy Podcast

  This podcast will explore the changing landscape of male development, drawing on the concept of the "Great Rewiring" which refers to the impact of technology on boys' lives, particularly since the 2010s. The podcast will discuss how boys' engagement with the real world has declined and their immersion in the virtual world has increased, leading to various challenges.Here are some key themes the podcast will delve into:The Shift in Mental Health: The podcast will examine the rise in rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide among boys, particularly in the 2010s, and how this contrasts with girls' mental health trends. It will explore how boys have shifted from exhibiting externalizing behaviors (like aggression and violence) to internalizing disorders (like depression).Withdrawal from the Real World: The podcast will explore how boys are increasingly withdrawing from real-world activities, including in-person social interactions, risky play, and exploration, and instead investing their time and energy in the virtual world.The Impact of Technology: The podcast will discuss how the rise of smartphones, high-speed internet, video games, and online pornography has created an environment where boys can satisfy their desires virtually, leading to a disconnection from the real world. The easy access to pornography and video games are presented as having a particular impact.The "Failure to Launch": The podcast will explore the phenomenon of young men struggling to transition to adulthood, often living with their parents, not being in education, employment, or training, and how this is more common among boys than girls. This can be connected to the Japanese concept of "hikikomori" which describes young men who withdraw into their bedrooms.The Decline of Risk-Taking: The podcast will look at how boys are engaging in less risk-taking behavior, which may be contributing to their decreased ability to manage risks in the real world.The Rise of Meaninglessness: The podcast will examine how boys are increasingly reporting that their lives feel meaningless. This is related to the concept of anomie, which is a lack of stable and shared social norms.The podcast aims to provide an understanding of the complex factors contributing to the challenges boys are facing today, exploring the “push and pull” between the real and the virtual world and the impacts this has on male development.

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