Whatβs Worrying Jonathan Haidt Now? - Cal Newport
Jonathan Haidt, a NYU social scientist, co-authored a book in 2018 titled The Coddling of the American Mind, which argued that the rise in mental health issues among American adolescents was driven by a culture of safetyism. However, Haidt later shifted his focus to smartphones and social media as potential causes of these mental health trends. In 2024, Haidt released a new book, The Anxious Generation, which became a bestseller and suggested that social media was causing real damage to adolescents. Following the release of The Anxious Generation, Haidt and his collaborators highlighted three technology trends causing concern: online gambling, multiplayer video games, and unsupervised conversations with AI-powered chatbots. Haidt warns that these technologies pose significant risks, including addiction, exposure to harmful content, and the erosion of focus and concentration.