Evidence vs. Narrative
Odgers and Haidt agree that adolescent mental health has declined, but they disagree on causes.
Odgers cites multiple factors: the recession, rising adult mental health issues, the COVID-19 pandemic, and opioid addiction.
She calls the focus on social media “misleading” because studies show only small or mixed associations.
In a review of Haidt’s book in Nature, Odgers wrote that hundreds of researchers have searched for large effects but found “no, small and mixed associations.”
Haidt later told the Guardian that Odgers had not read past chapter one, but she says she read the entire book.
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During a debate at the University of Virginia, Odgers asked Haidt why most social scientists in the field disagree with him.
Haidt countered that parents would be “crazy” to let their daughters use platforms that double or triple depression risk.
Odgers replied, “It’s not what that research tells you. You need to stop telling people it doubles or triples your risk.”
Odgers acknowledges that scary stories sell, especially to anxious parents. She notes that Haidt’s arguments resonate because they fit pre-existing worries.
“He needs about five seconds to convince people. I need about 15 minutes,” she says.
Real Risks and Solutions
Odgers emphasizes that cyberbullying is harmful but often overlaps with offline bullying.
“The most likely place for children to be harmed is in their home, in schools, in their communities, by people they trust,” she says.
