This post mostly comes from a recent episode of my favorite podcast, "Modern Wisdom," hosted by Chris Williamson. It covers a bunch of cool topics, including one we're talking about today: "The Hidden Dangers of Social Media on Mental Health" with Jonathan Haidt.
If you want to watch the whole episode, here's the link:
Link: Modern Wisdom Podcast Episode
So, why am I writing about a podcast today? Well, Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist and a professor at New York University's Stern School of Business, so he's pretty smart. In the podcast, he talks a lot about something he calls "The Phone-Based Childhood" compared to the old-school "Play-Based Childhood."
Now, what's the difference between a "Phone-Based" and "Play-Based" childhood?
Okay, so back in the day, kids used to spend more time outside playing. It was all about running around, climbing trees, and stuff. The cool thing about the "Play-Based" childhood is that it taught kids about real-life risks. Like, if you climb too high in a tree, you might fall.
On the flip side, a "Phone-Based" childhood is when kids are glued to screens most of the time. They don't get out much and don't learn about real risks. They might only encounter "risks" in video games, where nothing bad actually happens.
So, the big difference is like choosing between a veggie-based diet and a meat-based diet—it's about where you get your nutrients from. The "Play-Based" childhood is full healthy nutrients like nature, risks, imagination, and hanging out with other kids, which is all extremely important for growing up. But the "Phone-Based" childhood is like a bland meal—it keeps you going but doesn't offer much excitement. Sadly, that's how a lot of kids spend their time nowadays... eating the bland meal of social media, video-games, and overall screen-time.
In the next part of this blog, we'll talk about how we can shift from a "Phone-Based" to a "Play-Based" childhood to give kids a more rounded experience.