After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s. Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rose sharply, more than doubling on many measures. Why? Phone-based childhoods. Michael talks to social psychologist and bestselling author Jonathan Haidt, on his book "The Anxious Generation: ... Show More
Jul 24
Julian Zelizer: "Burning Down The House"
Michael Smerconish speaks with Princeton historian Dr. Julian Zelizer about "Burning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, the Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party." Zelizer explores how Gingrich used confrontation, cable television, and talk radio to transform Re ... Show More
12m 36s
Jul 20
Dr. Joseph Turow: "The Problem With Personalization"
Michael sits down with media scholar Dr. Joseph Turow to discuss his new book, "The Problem with Personalization: How Advertisers Learned to Make and Break Us from Ancient Times to the AI Age." Their conversation explores how AI, advertisers, and tech platforms are reshaping not ... Show More
46m 43s
May 2025
Downstream: Big Tech Is Making Our Children Depressed and Anxious. Here’s How w/ Jonathan Haidt
As smart phone use has soared, Generation Z’s mental health has plummeted. But just how bad is this crisis, and who should we hold responsible? In The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt sets out his comprehensive diagnosis of the problems caused by the mass in ... Show More
1h 15m
Sep 2024
Jonathan Haidt on “The Anxious Generation”
<p>Jonathan Haidt is a bestselling author and social psychologist at New York University’s Stern School of Business. In his latest book, “The Anxious Generation”, Haidt investigates the collapse of youth mental health, exploring the alarming effects of excessive screen time on ch ... Show More
45m 50s
Sep 2025
Extra: 'Anxious Generation' Author Jonathan Haidt On Cell Phones, Playing Outside And Raising Happy Kids
Kids today are reporting higher levels of stress and anxiety than ever before, with many experts attributing this to constant screen time and social media exposure. In response, lawmakers and schools nationwide are experimenting with policies such as banning cell phones in the cl ... Show More
20m 26s
Mar 2024
Conversation with Jonathan Haidt — The Kids Are Not Alright
Jonathan Haidt, a professor of ethical leadership and bestselling author, joins Scott to discuss his latest book, “The Anxious Generation: How The Great Rewiring Of Childhood Is Causing An Epidemic Of Mental Illness.” We hear about how nations have ended up in this situation and ... Show More
45m 20s