Catalysts for Change: Can Teens Survive the Digital World? • Professor Jonathan Haidt on Social Media and Teen Mental Health
This year, the CDC’s annual Youth Risk Behavior Survey offered a grim outlook for the wellbeing of young people. 42% of young people experienced persistent feelings of hopelessness or sadness, and nearly 25% had suicidal thoughts. As these trends have grown over the past decade, many point to the impact of social media, with numerous studies showing a correlation between social media and bullying, loneliness, anxiety, and depression.
Over the next few weeks, we’re bringing together experts, advocates, and political and school leaders to better understand the impact of social media on mental health, discuss how best to support young people in the social media age, and explore the role of regulations and restrictions in this special series of “Catalysts for Change” we’re calling, “Can Teens Survive the Digital World?”
In this first episode, Jill is joined by Jonathan Haidt, professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business and one of the most acclaimed social psychologists in the U.S. Jonathan’s research on the impact of social media on teenagers is helping inform policymakers across the country, and he joins us to discuss his findings.
To learn more about Professor Jonathan Haidt’s work and research, including his blog posts and open-source collaborative Google Docs, check out his website here.