From StarTalk.
Is social media rewiring childhood and fueling a mental health crisis? Neil deGrasse Tyson is joined by comic co-host Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly to explore the costs of growing up online and how to take back childhood with social psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt.
Have we been overprotecting kids in the real world and underprotecting them online? What happens when children miss out on risky play that builds resilience and antifragility? Could over-cushioned playgrounds and cancelled sports have set the stage long before Instagram arrived?
We discuss the developing brain in adolescents and why it’s a critical period for socialization. How does myelination contribute to locking in behaviors during puberty? What happens if social skills fail to develop during critical windows? Can TikTok rewiring replace the conflict and growth of real-world interaction?
Are tech companies exploiting adolescent fears of missing out? Do algorithms push kids toward loneliness instead of connection? We compare which platforms cause the most harm: Instagram’s social comparison, TikTok’s “brainrot,” Snapchat’s dangers, or Discord’s hidden risks.
How will Gen Z, the first generation raised on the internet, raise their own children? Can communities, schools, and even state laws restore independence and protect kids without criminalizing parents? And how do we confront the next wave of technologies, AI “friends” embedded in toys, and chatbots designed to keep children hooked?
Learn about the four steps individuals and communities can take to help reclaim childhood socialization: no smartphones before high school, no social media before 16, phone-free schools, and far more independence in the real world. Will families, educators, and governments rally to make this change or are we heading for “sociological apocalypse”?
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Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction: Jonathan Haidt
04:52 – Quantifying Anxiety & The New Normal
10:45 – Overprotecting in the Real World
15:19 – What Anxiety Looks Like
17:38 – Big Tech’s Collective Action Problem
22:00 – Myelination & Sensitive Periods
27:59 – Are “Digital Natives” Wired for Today?
34:15 – Parents Who Never Had a Childhood
36:28 – Who is Responsible?
42:36 – The Four Norms
45:03 – Not All Screen Time is Built the Same
53:24 – Chatbots & AI-Integrated Toys
56:26 – Solving the Problem & The Inequality
01:01:24 – What is the Future Like?
01:05:25 – Closing
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Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!
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