Big Picture Science for Aug 05, 2024 - Skeptic Check: Is Social Media Harming Kids?

Big Picture Science - Skeptic Check: Is Social Media Harming Kids?

Social media use among teens has risen alongside rates of anxiety and depression. Addressing what he calls a mental health crisis, the Surgeon General has called for warning labels on social media platforms akin to those on tobacco and alcohol. But this comes before scientific consensus has been reached that social media causes harm. We consider the evidence that social media may be eroding the mental health of Gen Z and a challenge to the claim that presents an alternative explanation for why young people are struggling.

Guests:

• Alison – High schooler who wrote a column describing the positive and negative effects of social media
• Zach Rausch – Associate Research Scientist at NYU-Stern School of Business and lead researcher to Social Psychologist Jonathan Haidt for his book, “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness”
• Sarah Coyne – Psychologist and Sarah Coyne Associate Director of the School of Family Life at Brigham Young University

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