We’re coming to you from a recent event in Austin, covering the latest Senate confirmations, Eric Adams’ potential removal from office, and Jamie Dimon’s hot mic moment—where he said what everyone’s thinking. Tune in!
In this episode of Madison's Notes, Jonathan Haidt, renowned social psychologist and author, dives deep into the impact of digital saturation on today's youth, drawing insights from his latest book, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness (Allen Lane, 2024). The discussion explores how growing up immersed in social media, video games, and smart technology is reshaping young people’s sense of self and influencing their political engagement. Haidt explains how the constant connectivity may be contributing to an increase in anxiety and how it’s altering their approach to both personal identity and societal participation.
Haidt also addresses the potential for a "generational war," where differences between older and younger generations are often framed as inherent character flaws. He emphasizes the importance of understanding that many of Gen Z’s choices have been shaped by forces beyond their control, rather than pointing to a moral failing. This leads into a comparison with the themes explored in The Coddling of the American Mind, particularly the societal impact of overprotection and the lack of resilience-building among youth.
The conversation then moves into practical territory, with Haidt discussing the importance of activating the brain’s inhibition system to help young people develop resilience and the ability to handle stress, conflict, and complex decision-making. He suggests that cultivating the inhibition system through thoughtful practices is key in fostering more resilient and independent young adults.
Finally, Haidt examines the role of tech giants like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg in shaping the digital landscape and their growing political influence. He discusses the challenges of addressing the negative impacts of social media, pondering whether government intervention will result in meaningful change or if the influence of tech leaders will prevent any real reform.
This episode provides a compelling exploration of how technology, societal norms, and political dynamics intersect to shape the lives of younger generations and offers valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for both youth and society at large.
Contributions to and/or sponsorship of any speaker does not constitute departmental or institutional endorsement of the specific program, speakers or views presented.
In Absorption Narratives: Jewishness, Blackness, and Indigeneity in the Cultural Imaginary of the Americas(U Toronto Press, 2025), Stephanie M. Pridgeon explores cultural depictions of Jewishness, Blackness, and Indigeneity within a comparative, inter-American framework. The dynamics of Jewishness interacting with other racial categories differ significantly in Latin America and the Caribbean compared with those in the United States and Canada, largely due to long-standing and often disputed concepts of mestizaje, broadly defined as racial mixture. As a result, a comprehensive understanding of Jewishness and the construction of racial identities requires an exploration of how Jewishness intersects with both Blackness and Indigeneity in the Americas.
Absorption Narratives charts the ways in which literary works capture differences and similarities among Black, Jewish, and Indigenous experiences. Through an extensive and diverse examination of fiction, Pridgeon navigates the complex connections of these identity categories, offering a comparative perspective on race and ethnicity across the Americas that destabilizes US-centric critical practices. Revealing the limitations of US-focused models in understanding racial alterity in relation to Jewishness, Absorption Narratives emphasizes the importance of viewing the narrative of race relations in the Americas from a hemispheric standpoint.
President Donald Trump has a problem with journalists, particularly those who do or say things he doesn’t like. His latest fight is with the Associated Press, which refuses to go along with the president’s decision to unilaterally rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. But he’s also going after CBS’s “60 Minutes” for how it edited an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris and the Des Moines Register over a late-election poll it published showing Trump losing Iowa in November (he didn’t). Katherine Jacobsen, the Committee to Protect Journalists’ program coordinator in the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean, talks about the risks to press freedom under the Trump administration.
Also in headlines: Trump officials continued to move closer to Russia during peace talks in Saudi Arabia over ending its invasion of Ukraine, the White House says billionaire Elon Musk is not running the Department of Government Efficiency, and another top federal prosecutor in D.C. resigned.
Show Notes:
Learn more about The Committee to Protect Journalists – cpj.org
The news to know for Wednesday, February 19, 2025!
We’ll catch you up on what’s considered a major turnaround in American-Russian relations, despite pushback from NATO allies.
Also, the latest federal cuts—impacting everyone from bank regulators to rocket scientists.
Plus, a new executive order about fertility treatment, a jury has reached a verdict in a big celebrity trial, and a musical icon is adapting so he can keep performing after hearing loss.
Those stories and even more news to know in about 10 minutes!
Join us every Mon-Fri for more daily news roundups!
On this week’s show, Slate Business and Tech reporter Nitish Pahwa sits in for Julia. The panel discusses Severance season 2 from Apple TV+. They then talk about the Oscar-nominated film No Other Land – a Palestinian documentary following a young activist fighting his community's mass expulsion by Israeli occupation. They end by discussing Nitish’s recent reporting on Buzzfeed’s upcoming AI-infused social media platform, BF Island.
Nike just partnered with Skims… but has Kim stretched Skims too far?
Protector just launched an Uber for Bodyguards… and 1 video hack made it go viral.
The Fire Truck industry has been taken over by Private Equity… but its stock tripled while fires fell?
The best Black History Month story yet?... Lonnie Johnson’s Super Soaker.
$NKE $UBER $SPY
Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story of… The Patagonia Fleece 🐑
“The Best Idea Yet”: The untold origin stories of the products you’re obsessed with — From the McDonald’s Happy Meal to Birkenstock’s sandal to Nintendo’s Susper Mario Brothers to Sriracha. New 45-minute episodes drop weekly.
What happens when a team of scientists and local Awajún guides go on a 38-day trip into the Alto Mayo region of Peru? Over 2000 species are identified, of course! Tucked in this lush landscape where the Amazon basin meets the Andes mountains, were 27 species of animals previously unknown to science. It makes us wonder, what else is out there that the scientific community hasn't seen? And who already knows about it?
TV writer, culture critic and podcast host Ira Madison III was not just one of the only Black students at his high school, he was also one of the only gay kids. In his new memoir, Pure Innocent Fun, Madison writes about how cultural artifacts became more than just a source of entertainment - they became a way to feel connected to others. In today's episode, Madison speaks with NPR's Juana Summers about growing up without many queer adults to turn to, and how Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a way for young queer kids to feel seen.
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
The ties between U.S. foreign aid and American agriculture run deep — or at least used to. The U.S. International Agency for Development, or USAID, is the largest provider of humanitarian food aid in the world. Much of that aid comes from U.S. farmers, whose corn, wheat and rice is sold in bulk to the government for USAID's programs. What happens now if those programs end?
Related episodes: The gutting of USAID (Apple / Spotify) A 'Fork in the Road' for federal employees (Apple / Spotify) Trump threatens the grim trigger (Apple / Spotify)
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.