On this episode we sat down with Zach Rausch, the chief researcher at the Tech and Society Lab at NYU, and the lead researcher for “The Anxious Generation,” by Jonathan Haidt, which was published last year. 

The core thesis of the book is that we've been overprotecting children in the real world and underprotecting them in the online world. The book points to data about Gen Z, the generation born from the mid-’90s to about 2010 showing significant increases in anxiety, depression and suicide. The book goes further and makes the case that it is the combination of the smartphone and social media apps that are the root of the problem.

We recorded this interview on the sidelines of NCSL’s Legislative Summit in Boston where he appeared on a panel with other experts discussing young people, social media and public policy.

Resources

• After Babel Substack
• Social Media and Children, 2025 Legislation, NCSL
• Zach Rausch website