How Smartphones & Social Media Impact Mental Health & the Realistic Solutions | Dr. Jonathan Haidt

Andrew Huberman

Jun 10, 2024

Episode description

In this episode, my guest is Dr. Jonathan Haidt, Ph.D., professor of social psychology at New York University and bestselling author on how technology and culture impact the psychology and health of kids, teens, and adults. We discuss the dramatic rise of suicide, depression, and anxiety as a result of replacing a play-based childhood with smartphones, social media, and video games.

He explains how a screen-filled childhood leads to challenges in psychological development that negatively impact learning, resilience, identity, cooperation, and conflict resolution — all of which are crucial skills for future adult relationships and career success. We also discuss how phones and social media impact boys and girls differently and the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of how smartphones alter basic brain plasticity and function.

Dr. Haidt explains his four recommendations for healthier smartphone use in kids, and we discuss how to restore childhood independence and play in the current generation.

This is an important topic for everyone, young or old, parents and teachers, students and families, to be aware of in order to understand the potential mental health toll of smartphone use and to apply tools to foster skill-building and reestablish healthy norms for our kids.

Access the full show notes, including referenced articles, books, people mentioned, and additional resources: https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/dr-jonathan-haidt-how-smartphones-social-media-impact-mental-health-the-realistic-solutions

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Timestamps
00:00:00 Dr. Jonathan Haidt
00:02:01 Sponsors: Helix Sleep, AeroPress & Joovv
00:06:23 Great Rewiring of Childhood: Technology, Smartphones & Social Media
00:12:48 Mental Health Trends: Boys, Girls & Smartphones
00:16:26 Smartphone Usage, Play-Based to Phone-Based Childhood
00:20:40 The Tragedy of Losing Play-Based Childhood
00:28:13 Sponsor: AG1
00:30:02 Girls vs. Boys, Interests & Trapping Kids
00:37:31 “Effectance,” Systems & Relationships, Animals
00:41:47 Boys Sexual Development, Dopamine Reinforcement & Pornography
00:49:19 Boys, Courtship, Chivalry & Technology; Gen Z Development
00:55:24 Play & Low-Stakes Mistakes, Video Games & Social Media, Conflict Resolution
00:59:48 Sponsor: LMNT
01:01:23 Social Media, Trolls, Performance
01:06:47 Dynamic Subordination, Hierarchy, Boys
01:10:15 Girls & Perfectionism, Social Media & Performance
01:14:00 Phone-Based Childhood & Brain Development, Critical Periods
01:21:15 Puberty & Sensitive Periods, Culture & Identity
01:23:55 Brain Development & Puberty; Identity; Social Media, Learning & Reward
01:33:37 Tool: 4 Recommendations for Smartphone Use in Kids
01:41:48 Changing Childhood Norms, Policies & Legislature
01:49:13 Summer Camp, Team Sports, Religion, Music
01:54:36 Boredom, Addiction & Smartphones; Tool: “Awe Walks”
02:03:14 Casino Analogy & Ceding Childhood; Social Media Content
02:09:33 Adult Behavior; Tool: Meals & Phones
02:11:45 Regaining Childhood Independence; Tool: Family Groups & Phones
02:16:09 Screens & Future Optimism, Collective Action, KOSA Bill
02:24:52 Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, YouTube Feedback, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

#HubermanLab #MentalHealth

Disclaimer: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

Episode description

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Leverage dopamine release to understand adolescent behavior wiring

A strong dopamine release from an online 'reward' creates a window of 'super plasticity,' which can rapidly and powerfully wire an adolescent's brain for that specific, often maladaptive, behavior.

#dopamine

#neuroplasticity

Rewire childhood development from play-based to phone-based

The period between 2010 and 2015 is described as 'the great rewiring of childhood' because the mass adoption of smartphones fundamentally shifted development from play-based to phone-based.

#children

#social-media

Address youth mental health crisis by restoring community and play

The current youth mental health crisis is a tragedy that unfolded in three acts: the loss of community trust, the resulting loss of a play-based childhood, and its replacement by a phone-based childhood.

#community

#mental-health

Uncover social media traps targeting genders

Social media platforms effectively 'trap' girls by using social dynamics and comparison as bait, while boys are trapped by platforms offering simulated war and sex.

#gender

#social-media

Rewire brain for real-world courtship skills by reducing pornography use

Pornography trains the brain for fast, low-effort dopamine reinforcement, which prevents the development of real-world courtship skills and may lead to sexual dysfunction with actual partners.

#dopamine

#pornography

Foster real-world play to enhance children's conflict resolution skills

Real-world play forces children to learn conflict resolution, whereas online conflicts escalate without resolution, preventing kids from developing these essential social skills.

#children

#relationships

Protect adolescent brains from online cultural influences

Puberty appears to be a sensitive period for learning culture and identity, making the adolescent brain uniquely vulnerable to being malformed by the artificial social world online.

#children

#mental-health

Implement four norms to address childhood crisis

Four new societal norms are proposed to solve the crisis: no smartphones before high school, no social media until 16, phone-free schools, and more real-world independence.