S1E7 | Why Social Media Harms Girls More Than Boys | The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt | The Messy Podcast

This podcast explores how social media affects girls more negatively than boys, drawing on research and real-life examples. It delves into the reasons behind this disparity, including:

• Girls' heightened sensitivity to visual social comparison and "socially prescribed perfectionism," which are amplified by visually oriented platforms like Instagram and TikTok. The constant exposure to curated images leads to feelings of inadequacy and drives a need to compare themselves to others.
• Girls' tendency toward relational aggression. Unlike boys, who may express aggression physically, girls tend to harm others through relationships and reputations, a behavior that is facilitated by social media. This online aggression contributes to anxiety and depression.
• Girls’ greater tendency to share emotions and disorders. Research shows that negative emotional states such as depression spread more easily among women, and when girls share their struggles online, it can lead to "sociogenic" illnesses spreading through social networks. This is amplified by social media's tendency to reward extreme presentations of symptoms, through audience capture.
• Girls' increased risk of predation and harassment. The internet makes it easier for men to target and exploit girls. Girls are pressured to share nude photos of themselves and are subjected to sexual harassment and exploitation, which causes increased anxiety.

The podcast will also discuss how social media's focus on quantity over quality of connections harms girls' well-being. The increase in online relationships has led to a decline in close friendships and a rise in loneliness among girls.

The podcast will also explore how social media can be a trap, luring girls with the promise of connection and belonging while actually making it more difficult to cultivate real-world relationships. The podcast is supported by data from studies and experts that highlight thecausal link between heavy social media use and mental health issues like depression and anxiety. Furthermore, the podcast will examine thedifferences in technology use between boys and girls, noting that girls tend to gravitate towards visually oriented platforms, which can exacerbate social comparison and harm mental health.

The podcast aims to shed light on the unique challenges that girls face in the age of social media and promote informed discussions about how to protect their well-being.