Bestselling author and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has dedicated his career to speaking truth and wisdom in some of the most challenging spaces – communities polarised by politics and religion and university campuses mired in culture wars. Now he turns his attention to what he sees as a perfect storm of factors that are causing a collapse in mental health among teenagers today. According to the American College Health Association, since 2010 anxiety among American college students has increased by 134%, depression by 106%, bipolar disorder by 57%, and anorexia by 100%. Haidt recently came to the Intelligence Squared stage where in conversation with BBC presenter Sarah Montague he drew on his new book The Anxious Generation, which has shot to No 1 in the Sunday Times bestsellers. He argues that the decline of free play in childhood and the rise of smartphone use among adolescents are the twin sources of increased mental distress among teenagers. But with traditional wisdom, cutting-edge research and practical advice – parents, teachers and teenagers can find new ways to mitigate tech's impact on mental health.
We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/IS for £100 sponsored credit.
This is the first instalment of a three-part conversation. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all three parts now plus all of our longer form interviews and Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.
For £4.99 per month you'll also receive:
- Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts
- Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series
- 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events
- Our member-only newsletter The Monthly Read, sent straight to your inbox
...
Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99:
- Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts
- Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series
...
Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access.
...
Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more.
https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Debate: We Should All Go Vegan, Part 1
The End of the Murdoch Empire
What Britain Gets Wrong About Race
Putin's Shrinking Circle: Russia after Prigozhin
Whose Word is 'Woke'?
The New Science Behind Tackling Depression
Naomi Klein on Conspiracies, Doppelgangers and Democracy's Demise
Mustafa Suleyman on the AI Revolution, Part 2
Mustafa Suleyman on the AI Revolution, Part 1
John Gray and David Runciman on Finding Meaning in a Post-Liberal World
Politics in the Age of Chaos with Rafael Behr
Trash Talk: The Dirty Truth About What We Throw Away
Debate: The Battle for the Countryside, with George Monbiot and Rory Stewart
No Bullsh*t Leadership: Sir Nicholas Hytner
How Extremists are Taking Over
David Baddiel: The Reluctant Atheist, Part 2
David Baddiel: The Reluctant Atheist, Part 1
How Misinformation Led to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Katherine Ryan: How I Found My Voice
Ravinder Bhogal and Kavita Puri on Taste, Tradition and Turmoil
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free