Best Of: Jonathan Haidt on What Social Media Is Doing to Our Kids episode artwork

EPISODE · Sep 11, 2025 · 1H 24M

Best Of: Jonathan Haidt on What Social Media Is Doing to Our Kids

from The Next Big Idea · host Next Big Idea Club

It’s rare these days for a book to go viral, but that’s exactly what happened with The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt. Now in its 75th week on the New York Times’ bestseller list, the book reveals a startling truth: Starting in 2012, teen depression rates suddenly spiked 150% worldwide, perfectly coinciding with the moment smartphones and social media conquered childhood. But Haidt doesn't just diagnose the crisis. He offers a roadmap out with norms, guidelines, and policy suggestions that parents, schools, and communities are already implementing with remarkable success. Further Listening: WILL STORR: Does Our Need for Status Explain Everything? ANNA LEMBKE: Why the Modern World Puts Us All At Risk for Addiction ——— Want to connect with us? 🔗 Follow Rufus on LinkedIn 📖 Subscribe to our daily newsletter, Book of the Day ✉️ Send us an email: [email protected] ——— Ready to reach 300,000 curious listeners and readers? Promote your brand, book, or product to an audience passionate about big ideas. 📩 Request our sponsor kit

It’s rare these days for a book to go viral, but that’s exactly what happened with The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt. Now in its 75th week on the New York Times’ bestseller list, the book reveals a startling truth: Starting in 2012, teen depression rates suddenly spiked 150% worldwide, perfectly coinciding with the moment smartphones and social media conquered childhood. But Haidt doesn't just diagnose the crisis. He offers a roadmap out with norms, guidelines, and policy suggestions that parents, schools, and communities are already implementing with remarkable success. Further Listening: WILL STORR: Does Our Need for Status Explain Everything? ANNA LEMBKE: Why the Modern World Puts Us All At Risk for Addiction ——— Want to connect with us? 🔗 Follow Rufus on LinkedIn 📖 Subscribe to our daily newsletter, Book of the Day ✉️ Send us an email: [email protected] ——— Ready to reach 300,000 curious listeners and readers? Promote your brand, book, or product to an audience passionate about big ideas. 📩 Request our sponsor kit

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Best Of: Jonathan Haidt on What Social Media Is Doing to Our Kids

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This episode was published on September 11, 2025.

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It’s rare these days for a book to go viral, but that’s exactly what happened with The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt. Now in its 75th week on the New York Times’...

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