610: Are We Addicted to Safety? The Problem with Safetyism in Modern America

People joke about bubble-wrapped children, but it's almost that bad. We've become obsessed with eliminating risk. But there's a cost. In this episode, we crack open a Lost Rhino stout and dig into the growing culture of safetyism: how it started with reasonable child-proofing, morphed into stranger danger hysteria, and ultimately produced a generation of emotionally fragile young adults.Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff addressed this question in The Coddling of the American Mind, namely, the unintended consequences of overprotective parenting, and how smartphones turbocharged the demand for emotional "safety." Along the way, we ask the questions nobody wants to ask — like whether COVID lockdowns were the ultimate safetyism stress test, and whether removing all risk from childhood is actually more dangerous than the risks themselves.As Thomas Sowell reminds us: there are no solutions, only trade-offs. So grab a beer, take off the helmet, and let's talk about it.Topics covered:* Growing up in the 70s & 80s vs. today* Haidt & Lukianoff's Coddling of the American Mind* Stranger danger, 24-hour news, and moral panic* Smartphones, social media, and emotional fragility* Campus speech restrictions and trigger warnings* COVID, safetyism, and government overreach* Why some danger is essential to raising resilient kids🍺 Beer of the episode: Fried Salad — Dry Hopped Oat Lager | Tactical Brewing Co., Orlando, FL | 6% ABV📬 Send us your thoughts: [email protected] 🌐 More episodes: pigweedandcrowhill.com👍 Like, subscribe, and tell a friend#Safetyism #JonathanHaidt #Parenting #FreeSpeech #CultureWar