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Why some researchers think I’m wrong about social media and mental illness

jonathanhaidt.substack.com

341–350 of 580 posts

Re: Why some researchers think I’m wrong about social media and mental illness

#341

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Like is it possible for you to acknowledge that folks in Florida don’t want to kill sexual minorities, but are also wary of a resurgent sexual revolution that could change the behaviors of kids who aren’t born gay or trans? Like can you seriously deny that there is an emerging trend of sexual identity becoming a form of self expression? Sorry, but what's the problem with sexual identity being a form of self expressi…

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> Look, we are not going to agree on that.

Agree on what? I didn't ask you to agree. I asked you to express what the problem with sexual identity being a form of self expression? I literally do not understand what your problem with this is, and knowing what the words mean, how it was not already inherently the case.

> What we can agree on, however, is that God (or the pre-natal endocrine environment, if you prefer) makes certain people different, and that those people should be able to participate in social institutions like marriage consistent with their biology.

Lol okay?

>On the other hand, if you want to force a debate on whether sexuality should be private or public, or whether individuals have social roles and be subject to social norms dictated by their biology, that is an entirely different fight, and it's one you don't want to have.

I don't want to force a debate on anything? I'm not sure why you seem to be incapable of having a conversation with me as opposed to some sort of globally disagreeable boogeyman you've invented on my behalf... I litereally asked you a simple question and rather than answer it, you came back telling me that I'm trying to force something? You put like 10 carts before your horse there...

Re: Why some researchers think I’m wrong about social media and mental illness

#342

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Climate change is now climate catastrophism. It's unfortunately many times more doomer today than ever. And while climate itself is not energizing, "doing something about it to save the world' is because it's simple even if it's in-effective. A phenomena like Greta Thunberg wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for that. And wind and solar and tesla and other avenue that doesn't really do anything other than let us waste…

It appears to me that fears over catastrophic climate change are yet another moral panic. Amplified by social media this time. As with other moral panics (e.g. child abductions, pedophilia), the problem exists, but is blown way out of proportion by the media. In reality, I believe there of course will be changes in the weather patterns due to a relatively small increase in temperature, but it's not going to be the en…

I agree somewhat, in the sense that climate change will have happened slow enough and on a wide enough scale that its impact on human geographic dispersion, social organization, and reproductive patterns will be imperceptible to those feeling its effects.

It won’t be a catastrophe simply by nature of lacking the sudden violence necessary to qualify. Will it suck, will it transform things for the worse, and will our successors envy us, if not outright loathe and resent us? Definitely.

Re: Why some researchers think I’m wrong about social media and mental illness

#343

It's quite hard for me to judge this topic because I am so thoroughly convinced that social media is toxic for mental health. I think unfortunately it has become pervasive enough that you can't avoid experiencing it's toxic influence. There has been a complete loss in any interest in meeting a middle ground and like the use of stocks in medieval times the concept of cancellation is much more power than any reality. T…

> I am so thoroughly convinced that social media is toxic for mental health.

The social media business is definitely a toxic, failed replacement for social discourse.

Perhaps young citizens are driven to despair by this and their distress is an early indicator that we are failing as a society to provide adequate education and humanity.

As an adult citizen, I am almost driven to despair.

Consumer enclaves do not replace community.

Re: Why some researchers think I’m wrong about social media and mental illness

#344

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The reaction became a chain reaction and now the details don't matter and the "dogma" could be anything. For example, singing the sone "Rainbowland" at an elementary school concert is now considered pushing some dogma of shaming on kids.

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> But drag shows aren't appropriate for children, right?

I mean, this is either an ill-informed or wildly hateful view. Many drag shows are appropriate for children. Many drag shows are not appropriate for children.

We didn't criminalize TV writers when South Park contained adult humor. In fact, we started showing it all day long.

Re: Why some researchers think I’m wrong about social media and mental illness

#345

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Like is it possible for you to acknowledge that folks in Florida don’t want to kill sexual minorities, but are also wary of a resurgent sexual revolution that could change the behaviors of kids who aren’t born gay or trans? Like can you seriously deny that there is an emerging trend of sexual identity becoming a form of self expression? Sorry, but what's the problem with sexual identity being a form of self expressi…

[flagged]

> What we can agree on, however, is that God (or the pre-natal endocrine environment, if you prefer) makes certain people different, and that those people should be able to participate in social institutions like marriage consistent with their biology.

I mean, no, we can't agree on that restrictive phrasing.

Even to the extent we might agree that biological differences might sometimes be socially relevant, there is no special biological privilege to pre-natal effects.

(But mostly this seems to be appealing to the flawed “born different” premise for legal rights.)

Re: Why some researchers think I’m wrong about social media and mental illness

#346

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Conservatives are all for letting parents take their kids to churches where people play with snakes and speak in tongues, and you are actually pearl clutching over a man wearing a dress?

And most liberals would be just as upset if a public school or library hosted one of those events.

Fuck no. Schools have had literal bible studies hosted by a teacher or student for decades!

Re: Why some researchers think I’m wrong about social media and mental illness

#347

Starting to get to the age where my oldest daughter is demanding access to social media because all her friends are using it. Surprised more parents aren’t aware of the harms.

I'm just moving into this phase as well. The same parents that said it was ridiculous kids have phones, are now getting their kids phones. I've heard that not having a phone is essentially like knowing the whole school is invited to party, except you. I'm really not sure what to do.

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Re: Why some researchers think I’m wrong about social media and mental illness

#348

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Conservatives are all for letting parents take their kids to churches where people play with snakes and speak in tongues, and you are actually pearl clutching over a man wearing a dress?

And most liberals would be just as upset if a public school or library hosted one of those events.

A library less so, imo. Local libraries are community institutions and should be serving their communities. so if the community wants to have a drag night, I don't see the issue? no one is forced to go... I went to boy scouts at my library

Re: Why some researchers think I’m wrong about social media and mental illness

#349

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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Conservatives are all for letting parents take their kids to churches where people play with snakes and speak in tongues, and you are actually pearl clutching over a man wearing a dress?

Your whole chain of responses here running a motte and bailey on both sides. On the one hand, you're pretending that the most silly extremists on the right are central examples; while on the other hand, pretending that there exist no extremists on the left.

Re: Why some researchers think I’m wrong about social media and mental illness

#350
post #286

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What about drag shows is inappropriate, for what ages, and what intervention would you consider reasonable to prevent the harm of children? Plenty of drag shows are designed to be family-friendly, and generally parents can just not bring their kids to things that they don't think are appropriate for them. In any case, the way you write about self expression (and the Matt Walsh-level unseriousness of describing drag s…

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> Drag shows involve violating social norms as a form of voluntary self expression

This argument is brought to you by the same crowd of incels and other neo-reactionaries who lament the public reaction to their continued efforts to be shockingly edgy

> Such rejection of social norms should not be granted state sanction by hosting such events in public libraries.

Why? What social norms should the state care about? All social norms? What about the social norms of say, redlining communities? Should the state sanction that social norm, because it's a social norm?

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