Podcast appearances and mentions of candice odgers

For years, we've heard that social media is fueling a teen mental health crisis. But the evidence is more complicated. Developmental psychologist Candice Odgers unpacks what the research actually says—and where parents, policymakers, and the media often get it wrong.TED Radio Hour+ listeners now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and deeper conversations with Manoush. By signing up for Plus, you directly support our work and public media, so all your episodes (like this one!) come to you without sponsor breaks. Learn more at plus.npr.org/ted.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Trigger warning - this episode contains mention of suicide and severe depression.This is episode two of a seven-part series airing this week on TED Talks Daily, where author and podcaster Manoush Zomorodi — and the seven speakers she curated for TED2026 — explore how you can live a healthier life in our high-tech era.For years, the warning has been: smartphones are destroying a generation. But developmental psychologist Candice Odgers says that decades of data on teens tells a different story — violence, alcohol use and pregnancy are at historic lows, and research shows social media may not actually be the culprit for mental health problems. Hear her analysis of what's really troubling kids these days, and why banning them from online spaces may make things worse. And stick around after her talk for a deep dive conversation with Manoush into the ideas she shared on stage and beyond.To hear more from Manoush, listen to TED Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts. Check out her new book, Body Electric, to learn more about the hidden health costs of the digital age. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Towards the end of last year, Australia did something no other country had ever tried: it banned social media for kids under 16. And a bunch of others are following with similar laws, first Denmark, then France, then Indonesia and Austria. All in, there are now more than 25 countries that have either implemented, or are actively considering, social media bans for kids. It seems like Canada is moving there as well. In April, the Liberal party adopted a non-binding motion to restrict young people's access to both social media and AI chatbots. All over the world, you can hear parents breathing a sigh of relief. They've spent the last decade watching their kids become hooked on their devices, and now we're doing something about it. It looks like we're finally going to get our kids back. But researchers like Candice Odgers are skeptical. Odgers is a psychology professor at UC Irvine who's been studying the digital lives of young people for almost 20 years now, long before anyone was worried about what social media was doing to their brains. She says there isn't really any research to suggest these bans will work. But her argument goes even deeper than that: she says the idea that smartphones have caused a youth mental health crisis just isn't supported by the evidence. So as governments all over the world start to kick kids off social media, and maybe even AI chatbots as well, Candice Odgers thinks we're making a serious mistake. And I want to know if she's right. Mentioned The Anxious Generation, by Jonathan Haidt (Penguin Press, 2024).  Australia's under-16 social media ban — the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024, in effect 10 December 2025 — eSafety Commissioner. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, “Social Media and Adolescent Health” (2024). Hunt Allcott et al., “The Effects of School Phone Bans: National Evidence from Lockable Pouches,” NBER (2026) — near-zero effects on test scores, attendance, and bullying. The University of Manchester #BeeWell study finding no link between social media/gaming use and later anxiety or depression, Journal of Public Health (2026). “The Kids Are All Right,” Scientific American (2026) — young people doing better than prior generations on many metrics. The Stanford-led evaluation of Australia's ban (Stanford Social Media Lab with the eSafety Commission), finding most teens stayed on the platforms — The Conversation. The early-1980s Pac-Man moral panic (Surgeon General C. Everett Koop's 1982 warning; municipal moves to restrict arcades) — Freethink. Section 230 of the US Communications Decency Act (47 U.S.C. § 230) — Cornell Legal Information Institute Canada's Gen(Z)AI youth assembly on AI (~100 young Canadians aged 17–23), Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy, findings presented in Ottawa. Machines Like Us is hosted by Taylor Owen, produced by Paradigms, and distributed by The Globe and Mail. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jonathan Haidt's book The Anxious Generation hit shelves in March 2024, arguing that smartphones and social media broke teen mental health starting around 2012. Two years later, the book is either treated as gospel or dismissed as moral panic. Neither framing is quite right. This episode cuts through the noise and walks you through what we actually know in 2026. Haidt's case rests on a striking inflection point. Around 2012, teen depression, anxiety, and self-harm rates spiked across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and parts of Europe. His argument is that the timing lines up too neatly with smartphones going mainstream and Instagram landing in every teenager's pocket. His critics push back hard. Candice Odgers at Duke published a widely cited Nature review arguing the causal evidence falls short. Andrew Przybylski and Amy Orben at Oxford have shown that the measurable effect of social media on well-being is surprisingly small. They argue the 2012 timing could reflect other forces, from the lingering economic hangover of 2008 to shifts in how teens self-report mental health. The tiebreaker neither camp had in 2024 is now starting to arrive. The Netherlands banned phones in secondary schools in early 2024. The UK issued national guidance. Florida, Indiana, and other US states rolled out classroom restrictions. Australia banned social media for kids under sixteen. The early data shows modest but real improvements in focus, social interaction, and reported mood. Not a slam dunk for Haidt, but not a win for his critics either. The practical takeaway is less about winning the academic debate and more about how to act under uncertainty. When a restriction is low-cost, reversible, and aligned with what common sense already suggests, you don't need settled science to move. Phones out of bedrooms. Delayed social media. Protected sleep. These aren't extreme. They're what normal looked like fifteen years ago. Haidt's argument rests on a sharp 2012 inflection point in teen mental health across multiple countries Critics including Odgers, Przybylski, and Orben argue the effect sizes in correlational studies are very small Neither side had strong causal evidence when the debate peaked in 2024 The 2024 to 2026 wave of school phone bans is delivering the natural experiments that correlational studies couldn't Early ban data shows modest but real improvements in mood, focus, and social interaction Under genuine uncertainty, low-cost reversible precautions are the rational move Subscribe to The Healthier Tech Podcast wherever you get your podcasts for more honest conversations about technology, attention, and what a healthier relationship with our devices actually looks like. This episode is brought to you by Shield Your Body, a global leader in EMF protection and digital wellness. Because real wellness means protecting your body, not just optimizing it. If you found this episode eye-opening, leave a review, share it with someone tech-curious, and don't forget to subscribe to Shield Your Body on YouTube for more insights on living healthier with technology.

We weren't planning to do a series, but after our last two episodes with Alice Marwick and then Candice Odgers, things have lined up nicely for a trifecta of episodes about the current moral panic around kids and social media. This week, we're joined by Dr. Devorah Heitner, an expert on kids and technology and author of the recent book Growing Up In Public, as well as a Substack about mentoring kids in a connected world, to discuss what parents really need to know about kids, social media, and the internet.

In the conversation about keeping kids safe online, the actual experts with the most to offer are all too often treated as outsiders and interlopers. One such expert is Candice Odgers, Professor of Psychological Science and Informatics at the University of California Irvine, who has recently been involved in a lot of debates against people who are very confident despite having far less information and expertise. This week, she joins us for something of a follow-up to our previous episode, to have a more productive discussion about the real challenges with kids and social media and the real efforts to address them.

Social media platforms have become an integral part of the modern digital landscape, shaping how young individuals connect, communicate, and perceive the world around them. However, concerns have been raised regarding the potential negative consequences on children's mental well-being. Even recently, the US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released an advisory stating there's a risk of profound harm to children and adolescents' mental health and well-being. Those who agree claim that excessive social media usage can make children experience low self-esteem and negative body image. They also highlight cyberbullying and online harassment, which can contribute to increased stress, anxiety, and depression. Those who disagree say that when used responsibly and with proper guidance, social media can enhance social and creative skills, foster a sense of belonging, provide access to valuable educational resources, and help support communities. They also note that studies measuring social media's impact on kids' mental health don't always take into account other prominent factors.     With this context, we debate the question: Is Social Media Bad for Kids' Mental Health?     Arguing “YES” is Jim Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media.  Arguing “NO” is Candice Odgers, Professor of Psychological Science and Informatics at University of California, Irvine, and Director of Research and Faculty Development at University of California, Irvine's School of Social Ecology     Emmy Award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can parents tell if a teen's social media use is harming their mental health? Hosts Taylor Owen and Nicole Edwards are joined by a teen with a powerful story about the complicated relationship young people have with these platforms. Guest Sarah Banet-Weiser, Director, Annenberg Center for Collaborative Communication, unpacks what makes photo and video apps so magnetic, and why they generally affect teenage girls differently than boys. Next, Candice Odgers, a psychologist who specializes in new technologies and youth mental health, discusses the latest research on the effects of social media on teen mental health, with tips on how to support teens while they use these platforms. FIND OUT MORE: For further reading on how to talk to teens about their social media experience, consider Common Sense Media's guide, Help! My Kid Wants to Use Social Media https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/help-my-kid-wants-to-use-social-media For more information on the Facebook research leaks, listen to the Wall Street Journal's series, The Facebook Files https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-facebook-files-a-podcast-series-11631744702 For support with disordered eating, visit the Canadian Mental Health Association's resource guide https://ontario.cmha.ca/documents/understanding-and-finding-help-for-eating-disorders/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This symposium addresses the interactive gene-culture co-evolution of the human brain with tool use and technology - ranging from simple stone tools millions of years ago to computers today. Candice Odgers, UC Irvine, shares new data describing how digital technology use relates to adolescents’ same-day emotions, behaviors, and health. Key findings regarding the effects of digital technologies on children and youth are highlighted, challenging many of the common fears regarding the influence of the digital age on developing minds. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 34196]

This symposium addresses the interactive gene-culture co-evolution of the human brain with tool use and technology - ranging from simple stone tools millions of years ago to computers today. Candice Odgers, UC Irvine, shares new data describing how digital technology use relates to adolescents’ same-day emotions, behaviors, and health. Key findings regarding the effects of digital technologies on children and youth are highlighted, challenging many of the common fears regarding the influence of the digital age on developing minds. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 34196]

This symposium addresses the interactive gene-culture co-evolution of the human brain with tool use and technology - ranging from simple stone tools millions of years ago to computers today. Candice Odgers, UC Irvine, shares new data describing how digital technology use relates to adolescents’ same-day emotions, behaviors, and health. Key findings regarding the effects of digital technologies on children and youth are highlighted, challenging many of the common fears regarding the influence of the digital age on developing minds. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 34196]

This symposium addresses the interactive gene-culture co-evolution of the human brain with tool use and technology - ranging from simple stone tools millions of years ago to computers today. Candice Odgers, UC Irvine, shares new data describing how digital technology use relates to adolescents’ same-day emotions, behaviors, and health. Key findings regarding the effects of digital technologies on children and youth are highlighted, challenging many of the common fears regarding the influence of the digital age on developing minds. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 34196]

This symposium addresses the interactive gene-culture co-evolution of the human brain with tool use and technology - ranging from simple stone tools millions of years ago to computers today. Candice Odgers, UC Irvine, shares new data describing how digital technology use relates to adolescents’ same-day emotions, behaviors, and health. Key findings regarding the effects of digital technologies on children and youth are highlighted, challenging many of the common fears regarding the influence of the digital age on developing minds. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 34196]

This symposium addresses the interactive gene-culture co-evolution of the human brain with tool use and technology - ranging from simple stone tools millions of years ago to computers today. Candice Odgers, UC Irvine, shares new data describing how digital technology use relates to adolescents’ same-day emotions, behaviors, and health. Key findings regarding the effects of digital technologies on children and youth are highlighted, challenging many of the common fears regarding the influence of the digital age on developing minds. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 34196]

This symposium addresses the interactive gene-culture co-evolution of the human brain with tool use and technology - ranging from simple stone tools millions of years ago to computers today. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 34187]

This symposium addresses the interactive gene-culture co-evolution of the human brain with tool use and technology - ranging from simple stone tools millions of years ago to computers today. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 34187]

This symposium addresses the interactive gene-culture co-evolution of the human brain with tool use and technology - ranging from simple stone tools millions of years ago to computers today. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 34187]

This symposium addresses the interactive gene-culture co-evolution of the human brain with tool use and technology - ranging from simple stone tools millions of years ago to computers today. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 34187]