America at a Crossroads - Lecture Notes

Introduction and Welcome

• Presenter: Janice
• Special Guest: Jonathan Haidt
• Moderator: Rabbi Ed Feinstein
• Acknowledgment: Leadership team and donations
• **Upcoming Programs: **
  • Ambassador Dennis Ross: Washington Institute, on Russo-Ukraine war
  • Senator Gary Peters: Homeland Security, on domestic terrorism
  • Professor Katherine Blee: Extremism and white supremacy
  • David Gergen: Advisor to four U.S. presidents and CNN's commentator

Special Guest: Jonathan Haidt

• Profession: Social psychologist at NYU Stern School of Business
• Research: Foundations of morality, political/cultural divisions
• Works:
  • "The Happiness Hypothesis"
  • "The Righteous Mind"
  • "The Coddling of the American Mind"
• Current Focus: Impact of social media on teen mental health and political dysfunction
• Upcoming Book: "Life After Babel"

Discussion Highlights

How Did We Get Here?

• Historical Perspective: Small groups, gods, rituals for cohesion
• Media Evolution: From cable TV to social media
• Impact of Social Media:
  • Public shaming and relationship dynamics
  • Increased fear of speech within universities

Moral Matrices and Polarization

• **Moral Foundations Theory: ** Basis for moral intuition
• Political Spectrum Differences:
  • Left: Emphasis on care, fairness (equality)
  • Right: Emphasis on loyalty, authority, sanctity
• Understanding the Other Side: Crucial for reducing polarization

Social Media Effects

• Social Media as a Sociological Nuclear Bomb: Impacting institutions, and political dynamics
• Evidence: Examples like Senator Ted Cruz prioritizing Twitter over legislation

Impact on Young People

• Millennials vs. Gen Z:
  • Millennials were late adopters of social media
  • Gen Z experienced puberty with social media: Higher rates of depression, anxiety, particularly in girls
• Risks: Asynchronous communication such as Instagram promotes comparison and evaluation
• Solutions Discussed:
  • Encourage free play and unsupervised outdoor activities
  • Legislation to raise social media age limits to 16-18

Education and Morality

• Teaching Morality:
  • Community influence stronger than parental guidance
  • Experiences preferred over lectures for moral education

Challenges to Institutions

• Universities: Fear of dissent, impact of social media on academic freedom
• Crisis of Trust: Distrust in all forms of institutions (media, education, government)

Future Outlook

• Cycle of History: Historical patterns of crisis and rebirth
• Importance of New Institutions: Necessity to adapt to digital age
• Urgent Issues: Impact of COVID, climate change potential crises

Conclusion

• Wisdom Traditions: Importance of cultural and philosophical grounding
• Hero's Journey: Embracing challenges joyfully
• Joseph Campbell Quote: "Participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world..."

Links & Resources

• LetGrow.org: Encourage free play for children
• YourMorals.org: Test your moral foundations