How To Reduce Loneliness, Depression, And Distraction By Adapting Our Relationship To Social Media

From viral sensations to never-ending news feeds, the rapid evolution of technology has fueled a continuous cycle of polarizing opinions and perpetual stress. We are seeing significant increases in mental health disorders, especially in youth, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. But it’s not all doom and gloom. There are solutions and actionable steps we can take to foster a healthier relationship with social media and our use of technology.

In today’s episode, I talk with Cal Newport, Jim Kwik, Tobias Rose-Stockwell, and Laurie Santos about the myth that social media can make you happier and why it’s actually a source of anxiety.

Cal Newport is an associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University and writes about the impact of technological innovations on our culture. Newport is the author of six books, including Digital Minimalism and Deep Work. As we dive into the topic of social media, Cal shares his expertise on how it’s impacting public health and culture in ways much greater than you might expect.

Jim Kwik is an internationally acclaimed authority in the realm of brain optimization, memory improvement, and accelerated learning. With more than 30 years of experience, Jim has dedicated his life to helping people tap into their brain’s full potential. After overcoming learning challenges from a childhood brain injury, Jim embarked on a journey with the mission to leave no brain behind, and, through his teachings, Jim inspires others to unlock their inner genius, empowering them to live a life of greater power, productivity, and purpose.

Tobias Rose-Stockwell is a writer, designer, and media researcher whose work has been featured in major outlets such as The Atlantic, WIRED, NPR, the BBC, CNN, and many others. His research has been cited in the adoption of key interventions to reduce toxicity and polarization within leading tech platforms. He previously led humanitarian projects in Southeast Asia focused on civil war reconstruction efforts, work for which he was honored with an award from the 14th Dalai Lama. He lives in New York with his cat Waffles.

Laurie Santos is a Professor of Psychology and the Head of Silliman College at Yale University, as well as the host of the critically acclaimed podcast The Happiness Lab. After observing a disturbing level of unhappiness and anxiety among her students, she began teaching a course entitled “Psychology and the Good Life,” which quickly became the most popular course in Yale’s history and has also reached almost 2 million people from all over the world online. Although she’s now best known as a “happiness expert,” Santos’s research explores the much broader question of “What makes the human mind unique?” and often includes comparing the cognitive capacities of non-human animals to humans.

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Full-length episodes of these interviews can be found here:
Cal Newport
Jim Kwik
Tobias Rose-Stockwell
Laurie Santos