Jonathan Haidt's Major Findings
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt's research reveals that when adolescents' social lives moved onto smartphones and social media platforms around 2012, anxiety and depression surged dramatically among young people. His book "The Anxious Generation" demonstrates how the shift from play-based childhood to phone-based childhood has rewired young brains during their most sensitive developmental period.
The Four Harms of Screen-Based Childhood
SOCIAL DEPRIVATION
Loss of face-to-face play and interaction with peers.
Teens need physical, synchronous play with peers for healthy development. Screen time replaces essential face-to-face interaction, leading to isolation.
SLEEP DEPRIVATION
Disrupted sleep patterns from screen use before bed.
Blue light and engaging content disrupts natural sleep cycles. Teens need 8+ hours for healthy brain development and emotional regulation.
ATTENTION FRAGMENTATION
Inability to focus on single tasks for extended periods.
Constant notifications impair deep concentration. Meaningful learning requires sustained attention, disrupted by devices.
ADDICTION
Exploiting brain's dopamine system for engagement.
Social media and games trigger dopamine release, creating dependency. Heavy users report nothing feels good when not engaged with screens.
Four Harms Movement Activity:
- Post four harms in room corners
- Explain each harm briefly
- Ask guiding questions, students move to chosen harm
- 2-3 students from each area share reasoning
- Facilitate brief discussion about patterns
Guiding Questions:
1
Which harm impacts you most?
2
Which harm impacts you least?
3
Which harm impacts your friends most?
4
Which harm impacts BDHS student body most?