Left To Their Own Devices: A Conversation with Jonathan Haidt and Ava Smithing

Lee C. Bollinger Forum, New York City

Co-hosted with Paradigms and The Attention Studio, this event featured social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, in conversation with Ava Smithing, Gen Z host of the Left to Their Own Devices podcast. The discussion explored tensions between recent policy responses to youth online safety — social media bans, phone-free schools — and what young people actually want, followed by an audience Q&A and a community organization showcase on digital rights and youth advocacy.