Mintz hosted an event, “The Impact of Social Media on Children: A Crucial Conversation,” featuring a discussion with social psychologist and NYU Professor Jonathan Haidt, Scott Galloway, Professor of Marketing at NYU Stern School of Business, and Emma Lembke, digital youth activist and Co-chair of Design It For Us. 

Organized by the Sustainable Media Center (SMC), the event centered around Jonathan Haidt’s latest book, The Anxious Generation, and featured insights from Haidt, Lembke, and Galloway. Steven Rosenbaum, SMC executive director, opened the discussion by highlighting the profound influence social media has on the younger generation.  Amidst a standing room only crowd in Mintz’s New York office, the conversation delved into the harmful effects of social media on children, emphasizing the urgent need for collective action.

Emma Lembke, a rising senior at Washington University in St. Louis and the executive director of the Log Off Movement, set the stage by sharing her personal experience growing up online. 

“I was one of the individuals that testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. I was disheartened that more action has not been taken since young people have repeatedly come, stood up, told their stories, and expect a change,” said Lembke.

Jonathan Haidt provided a comprehensive overview of his book, which explores the dramatic decline in mental health among American children since 2010.  “The idea that the most powerful companies in the world host our children’s childhood and have no liability, no responsibility, is completely insane,” said Haidt.

Scott Galloway, a prominent scholar and father of two boys, added his perspective on the issue. He emphasized the importance of regulation and accountability for tech companies, drawing parallels to the tobacco industry’s history of litigation. Galloway argued that without significant legal consequences, tech companies would continue to prioritize profits over children’s well-being. “If you algorithmically elevate content, you should lose section 230 protection and are subject to the same responsibilities as all other media companies,” said Galloway.

Daniel DeWolf, a Member at Mintz is also a Trustee of SMC. “We at Mintz are huge supporters of the work of the Sustainable Media Center. It is critically important that we focus on developing appropriate guardrails for social media so as to limit the potential harm to our children.” 

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