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Plain English with Derek Thompson

Why Are American Teenagers So Sad and Anxious?

Plain English with Derek Thompson

The Ringer

News, News Commentary

4.7 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 22 April 2022

⏱️ 60 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The United States is experiencing an extreme teenage mental-health crisis. It is one of the most troubling and fascinating social phenomena in the country today. From 2009 to 2021, the share of American high-school students who say they feel “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness” rose from 26 percent to 44 percent, according to a new CDC study. This is the highest level of teenage sadness ever recorded. Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist at New York University, joins the podcast to explain why. Haidt is the author of The Righteous Mind, and the coauthor of The Coddling of the American Mind. He and Derek debate the role of social media, the evolution of parenting, and the deep root of anxiety in modern life. Host: Derek Thompson Guest: Jonathan Haidt Producer: Devon Manze Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

It's time to celebrate this rock we're all floating on.

0:06.7

This Earth Day on April 22nd, we want to share two easy steps for climate change action.

0:11.1

Step 1.

0:12.1

Head to Spotify's new Climate Action Hub, a one-stop shop for inclusive climate information

0:17.5

and inspiration.

0:19.1

You can check out the hub at Spotify.com slash Climate Action.

0:23.8

Step 2.

0:24.8

Get into action with AC now the UN's Climate Change Action campaign.

0:29.0

Learn more at UN.org slash AC now.

0:35.6

Today's episode is about what I think is one of the most interesting and disturbing mysteries

0:39.5

in America right now.

0:41.4

That is the stunning rise of teenage sadness and anxiety.

0:47.8

The facts are these, in the last decade plus, the share of American high school students

0:52.7

who say they feel persistent sadness has increased by 70% to the highest level ever recorded

1:00.0

by the CDC.

1:01.0

Today, more than four in ten teenagers say they are consistently sad, hopeless, or anxious.

1:10.6

Now most sociological trends are what I call spiky, like they're specific to a few places

1:16.4

or a few key demographics, like you would say you know violence is increasing in America,

1:20.4

but it's really being driven by a few cities, or video game sales are booming, but it's

1:24.6

mostly driven by men under 40.

1:27.2

Not here.

1:28.6

Not here.

...

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