After Babel

Introducing the Tech & Society Lab at NYU Stern

Building a research program that keeps pace with technology as it changes childhood and society

Oct 5 • Zach Rausch and Jon Haidt

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September 2026

The Many Lines of Evidence That Social Media is Not Safe For Teens

How to address those who still claim that this is all just a moral panic.

Sep 23 • Nathan Witkin, Carmen Lim, Zach Rausch, and Jon Haidt

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Are Phone-Free Schools Working?

Here is the evidence on all sides, across multiple outcomes.

Sep 17 • Carmen Lim, Zach Rausch, Emma Park, and Jon Haidt

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August 2026

Does Early Access to Social Media Harm Later Learning? New Evidence From Italy

Students who got social media accounts by age 12 progressed less than those who waited until age 14.

Aug 11 • Marco Gui and Giovanni Abbiati

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July 2026

Australia’s Social Media Policy Is Succeeding

Here’s what the critics are missing.

Jul 27 • Ravi Iyer, Jon Haidt, and Zach Rausch

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Why Did We Let Big Tech Take Over Education?

Sophie Winkleman lays out the damage from the screen-based school day and shows how to roll it back.

Jul 13 • Sophie Winkleman

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What Does a 13-Year-Old See on Snapchat in a Normal Week?

Two new studies show that kids and teens frequently encounter graphic violence, sexual content, and adult strangers on the app.

Jul 8 • Brooke Istook

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Teen Girls’ Suicide Rates Are Rising in Many Countries Around the World

New analyses from Europe, Japan, and South Korea show increases that in many cases began before COVID.

Jul 2 • Jean M. Twenge

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June 2026

Limbic Capitalism Has Been Driving Addiction for Hundreds of Years

A chapter from historian David Courtwright’s magnificent book, The Age of Addiction, helps us understand how we got here and what’s likely to come.

Jun 8

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Why You Should Be a Techno-Skeptic

My most urgent TED Talk yet.

Jun 2 • Jon Haidt

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May 2026

Treasure Your Attention

My commencement address to the NYU Class of 2026.

May 20 • Jon Haidt

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The State of Childhood in the U.S.

A new survey of U.S. parents by the Institute for Family Studies suggests that kids are still overprotected in the real world and underprotected online.

May 14 • Lyman Stone, Michael Toscano, and Grant J. Bailey

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