Kudos on a fine article that points out a significant oversight in the way we understand what is happening with today's youth - and many adults - who struggle against so many headwinds on the way to adulthood.
I was so delighted to find your article on WSJ that I signed up for a free subscription so that I could read the rest! Thank you for articulating so well what is a root cause of the current human condition. I am constantly working on this as I homeschool my daughter...if we create a life of rich moral imagination, a life so full of beauty and truth and wonderful ways to fill our leisure, why would we fall into an addiction to social media? I think you are right--it is a symptom! Thank you for writing this!
My AP English students are working on an argument unit about the state of childhood. I'd love to use this piece for a Socratic Seminar later this week. Do you happen to offer access for educators?
Although you cite Haidt and his co-author, this also seems like a response to the piece in last weekend's WSJ: "Stop Panicking Over Teens and Social Media" by Lucy Foulkes (Feb. 1-2, 2025, C3). One of the good things about Haidt is that people on the left do actually pay attention to him...at least the open-minded ones. The first thoughts my wife and I had on the Foulkes piece were "hooey," and "who is paying for her research?" The corrosive, deleterious impact of romanticism ("the romantic corruption of imagination"), as you so aptly term it, on a poorly-formed soul (and body, because we are incarnate; also heart and mind) is the story of my life. But at least I grew up before social media and omnipresent pornography, which would have sunk me. I can only hope your admonitions will fall on a few non-deaf ears and into receptive hearts.
Yes. I actually wrote this months ago but WSJ didn't publish until yesterday - I wish I could have responded to that article you reference, but I suppose this is a response.
Hello! I read your article on Vico and Deliberative Democracy which I found very interesting. Would you be able to share this article from the WSJ, I am being paywalled unfortunately
Kudos on a fine article that points out a significant oversight in the way we understand what is happening with today's youth - and many adults - who struggle against so many headwinds on the way to adulthood.
Thank you!
I was so delighted to find your article on WSJ that I signed up for a free subscription so that I could read the rest! Thank you for articulating so well what is a root cause of the current human condition. I am constantly working on this as I homeschool my daughter...if we create a life of rich moral imagination, a life so full of beauty and truth and wonderful ways to fill our leisure, why would we fall into an addiction to social media? I think you are right--it is a symptom! Thank you for writing this!
Elizabeth, thanks for your comment! Yes, the moral imagination is absolutely key.
Hi Emily-
My AP English students are working on an argument unit about the state of childhood. I'd love to use this piece for a Socratic Seminar later this week. Do you happen to offer access for educators?
Thanks!
Bwattner@ccisd.net
Although you cite Haidt and his co-author, this also seems like a response to the piece in last weekend's WSJ: "Stop Panicking Over Teens and Social Media" by Lucy Foulkes (Feb. 1-2, 2025, C3). One of the good things about Haidt is that people on the left do actually pay attention to him...at least the open-minded ones. The first thoughts my wife and I had on the Foulkes piece were "hooey," and "who is paying for her research?" The corrosive, deleterious impact of romanticism ("the romantic corruption of imagination"), as you so aptly term it, on a poorly-formed soul (and body, because we are incarnate; also heart and mind) is the story of my life. But at least I grew up before social media and omnipresent pornography, which would have sunk me. I can only hope your admonitions will fall on a few non-deaf ears and into receptive hearts.
Yes. I actually wrote this months ago but WSJ didn't publish until yesterday - I wish I could have responded to that article you reference, but I suppose this is a response.
Hello! I read your article on Vico and Deliberative Democracy which I found very interesting. Would you be able to share this article from the WSJ, I am being paywalled unfortunately
Please give me access to this full article.