The Oprah Podcast
Oprah and Jonathan Haidt on How Social Media Is Changing Childhood
Tue, 08 Apr 2025
BUY THE BOOK! “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness” by Jonathan Haidt, published by Penguin Press, is available wherever books are sold. We are only just beginning to understand the impact social media and smart devices are having on the mental and emotional well-being of teens and children around the world. In this episode of “The Oprah Podcast,” Oprah talks to Jonathan Haidt: a social psychologist, NYU professor and the New York Times bestselling author of "The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness." Jonathan will share why he believes the skyrocketing rates of anxiety, depression and addictive behaviors in teenagers can be directly linked to social media and excessive screen time. Oprah and Jonathan will also talk to teens - and their parents - from around the country about how their addiction to social media and smart devices is depriving them of their adolescence. Finally, Jonathan will offer tangible ideas for how parents and teens can work together to act now to prevent long-term and irreversible damage on teenagers’ still developing brains. For more information about how to join Jonathan Haidt’s movement and for more resources including a phone-free schools action kit and policy map, please go to the website below. anxiousgeneration.com This episode is brought to you in part by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/OPRAHPODCAST Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: https://www.instagram.com/oprah/ https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey/ Listen to the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chapter 1: What is the epidemic of mental illness among today's youth?
Hey, everybody. Hey, there. A warm welcome to you. Thanks for joining me here on the Oprah podcast. I am actually really excited to talk to Jonathan Haidt about his book, The Anxious Generation, how the great rewiring of childhood is causing an epidemic of mental illness. This book is doing something That you actually don't see often these days.
It's causing a real shift in public opinion and even policies in a big way. For anyone under the age of 25 and certainly for other age groups, much of life is lived through smartphones, tablets and on social media. On this episode, we are asking the question, at what cost?
It takes away from so many things in my life.
We are only just beginning to understand the impact social media and smart devices have on the mental and emotional health of young people whose brains are still developing. I know this is an issue that is top of mind for many of you parents.
When he does not have access to social media or his phone, he gets very agitated. He gets very angry. He has what I would call a teenage temper tantrum.
Social psychologist, NYU professor, and best-selling author Jonathan Haidt is on a mission to reach parents not only about his belief of the harmful effects of smartphones and social media, but also to help them take action now to prevent potential long-term damage in their children.
It is urgent that you restore your brain. You're still young, but if you do this until you're 25, then the damage might be permanent.
Jonathan's New York Times bestseller, The Anxious Generation, how the great rewiring of childhood is causing an epidemic of mental illness, digs into the skyrocketing mental health crisis in young people.
We have to change the way we're raising kids. We have to give them back an exciting, fun childhood in the real world, not on a screen.
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Chapter 2: How is social media causing addiction in children and teens?
They fear being made fun of. And so when they feel alone, they panic. And so I don't, I'm not saying go out there and tell your kid, I'm taking away your phone and your social media account now, and you're going to disappear from, so I'm not saying do that. But if you can find a few other families that will do that, this is going to be happening all, it is happening all over the world now.
This is the year, 24, 25. This is when the world is waking up to the fact that we cannot raise children on touchscreens. It is damaging their brain development. So we've got to stop. And if we do it together, we can actually do it.
Thank you, Jonathan. Jonathan and I are going to be talking again in a few months, so keep an eye out for that. We'll have an announcement we're excited to share with you and all who follow his work. So thank you to our parents and teens and Carrie and Nick and Alicia and Cyrene and Caleb and Leah and Estella and Mala and Uma for sharing your honest experiences with us here today.
The Anxious Generation is available now anywhere where books are sold. It continues to be a bestseller because parents need this information and are opening up to a new way of being
with their children after recognizing that what jonathan says in this book is so powerful and effective so if you're wondering what do i do and how do we solve it and oh my god this is taking over our family this is your answer see you all next week go well everybody you can subscribe to the oprah podcast on youtube and follow us on spotify apple podcasts or wherever you listen i'll see you next week thanks everybody
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