"Then there are experiments, with random assignment, that show that if you get off social media for at least a week depression gets less."

#JonathanHaidt, 2026

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/podcasts/jonathan-haidt-strikes-again-what-you-vibecoded-an-update-on-the-forkiverse.html

Curious to know how "social media" is being defined here. People are clearly being negatively impacted by *something*. But it is being online, having a pocket PC, or using apps? Or is it being manipulated by algorithms, and force fed ads that engage by being irritating?

#podcasts #NYTimes #HardFork #SocialMedia

I would never say 'kids shouldn't be on the internet'.

So, do they also need platforms that use algorithms to force feed them whatever content was most upvoted by people, based on the extremity of its emotions or expressions? Does your nephew benefit from having Instagram pick what he sees, as opposed to having *him* type in what he's looking for? If you take away social media from kids, I don't see any loss."

#JonathanHaidt, 2026

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/podcasts/jonathan-haidt-strikes-again-what-you-vibecoded-an-update-on-the-forkiverse.html

This confirms my suspicion.

(2/2)

"You've got to separate the internet from social media.

Social media is a part of the internet, it's one of the worst parts, it's the one that's hurting kids the most. But we're all old enough to remember the 90s when we first got a look at the internet ... if you're LGBTQ in rural areas, suddenly you can find information, you can find people, it was amazing the way it brought people together. So I would never take that away."

#JonathanHaidt, 2026

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/podcasts/jonathan-haidt-strikes-again-what-you-vibecoded-an-update-on-the-forkiverse.html

(1/2)

#SocialMedia

"Then there are experiments, with random assignment, that show that if you get off social media for at least a week depression gets less."

#JonathanHaidt, 2026

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/podcasts/jonathan-haidt-strikes-again-what-you-vibecoded-an-update-on-the-forkiverse.html

Curious to know how "social media" is being defined here. People are clearly being negatively impacted by *something*. But it is being online, having a pocket PC, or using apps? Or is it being manipulated by algorithms, and force fed ads that engage by being irritating?

#podcasts #NYTimes #HardFork #SocialMedia