What Jonathan Haidt has said about Social media and adolescent mental health

Haidt argues something fundamental changed between 2010 and 2015, which he calls the great rewiring of childhood.

“Something big changed between 2010 and 2015. I've called it the great rewiring of childhood”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: NYU Professor: Do This for 2 Weeks to Get Your Focus, Motivation, & Life Back (Sep 14, 2026) · Listen from 7:48

Haidt says the average American teen spends five hours a day on social media, mostly watching short videos, which displaces friends, sleep, sunshine, and reading.

“the average American teen now spends five hours a day on social media, mostly watching short videos. They're not even liking each other's posts”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: NYU Professor: Do This for 2 Weeks to Get Your Focus, Motivation, & Life Back (Sep 14, 2026) · Listen from 8:57

Haidt argues social media gave teens quantity of connection at the expense of quality, damaging rather than strengthening relationships.

“it severely damaged their relationships because it gave them quantity at the expense of quality. They now had hundreds of friends that they never saw”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: NYU Professor: Do This for 2 Weeks to Get Your Focus, Motivation, & Life Back (Sep 14, 2026) · Listen from 8:57

Haidt cites Arturo Bejar's research finding that about 15% of teens reported an inappropriate approach from a stranger in the past week.

“15% of them get an inappropriate approach from a stranger every week”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: NYU Professor: Do This for 2 Weeks to Get Your Focus, Motivation, & Life Back (Sep 14, 2026) · Listen from 20:02

Haidt says roughly 35 social media reduction experiments exist and that those lasting a week or more almost all find anxiety and depression decrease.

“Those that go on for at least a week, ideally two or three, and that focus on mental health, on anxiety and depression, almost all of them find that the levels of those things go down”

The Mel Robbins Podcast: NYU Professor: Do This for 2 Weeks to Get Your Focus, Motivation, & Life Back (Sep 14, 2026) · Listen from 52:46