Put Social Media in Its Place, with Andy Crouch

Andy Crouch returns to the show to discuss the emerging trends on how technology affects young people.

The data is in. Social media has now been studied long enough that we are able to compile reliable data, not just anecdotal evidence, about its effects on the mental health of boys, girls, young men, and young women. Algorithms, video games, porn, and more affect boys and girls very differently. And as the results become clearer, it also becomes more clear what to do about it. Andy Crouch returns to Mere Fidelity to discuss the problems and the solutions with Matt, Alastair, and Derek.  

Links Mentioned: 

Lexham Press Book of the Month 

Merrie Band 

Andy Crouch 

Andy’s Instigating Tweet 

Jonathan Haidt 

Katherine Dee 

Everything I Need I Get from You: How Fangirls Created the Internet as We Know It, by Kaitlyn Tiffany [affiliate link] 

Mark Zuckerberg 

OECD 

Timestamps

0:00
Proper Attention
1:42
Technology Correspondent
2:54
We Have the Data
10:24
Asymmetrical Effects
14:01
Morality Is Actually Practical
15:16
Idolatry Works Short-Term
19:20
Shifting Discourse
27:54
The Algorithm
32:18
Mental Distance
35:01
No Control Group
36:40
Practical Application
39:46
Should we ban mobile phones in schools?

Follow DerekAndrew, and Alastair for more tweet-sized brilliance. Financially support Mere OrthodoxyAlastair, and/or Derek directly. Thanks to Timothy Crouch for keeping us organized, and to Andrew Noble for managing the social media. Special thanks to Tim Motte for sound editing and show notes. And thanks to The Joy Eternal for lending us their music, which everybody should download out of gratitude for their kindness.

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