Michelle Obama tells parents that they need to become tougher on children’s social media

Former First Lady Michelle Obama called on her parents to become “toughest” in using their children’s social media during Wednesday’s episode of Podcast, “IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson”.

Obama spoke with social psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt about his 2024 book, “Generation in Anxiety”, in which Haidt argues that broad social media and the use of smartphones have harmful effects on children’s brains and well -being.

Children who grew up with a “child -based child” are more likely to encounter anxiety, depression and other mental health issues, he says.

During the long -term discussion, Haidt spoke about how social media reassess the brain by stimulating the release of “reward” brain chemicals, dopamine, which feeds on social media addiction.

Obama said parents need to understand that making difficult decisions for parents about things like social media will lead to long -term benefits for their child, although handing over their children’s wishes, or fixing them on social media, may be seductive at the moment.

“Parents suffer from this thing dopamine also when it comes to parents. Because we want immediate response from our children. We don’t want to wait. We don’t want to do the longer thing. You know, many times we have to ask,” Do we do this for our children, or are we doing this for us? “Because we also have the screen,” she said.

“And we are being trained in that immediate pleasure. Maybe 90-minute history is a problem for us because we can’t sit yet. After all is that we have to become tougher. We have to get more resilient for our children. Because I know again the time and time again that many parents do what is easy for them, you know, and not very well. “She continued.”

Obama told parents that there would be “parental pain” that comes with this harsh approach.

“We have to become a little more resilient as parents. We have to become tougher for the sake of our children … It’s not fun. All this will really be, really difficult, physically, emotional, one of the most difficult things you do,” she warned.

“You will disappoint them, and scare them and make them hurt and argue with them and do all the things you don’t want to do with your best friends. But after all, as parents, we are responsible for providing the safety and health of the children we bring to this world. And that means, after we know something we have done for them … Dependence, ”she said. “

“And it won’t be fun,” she added.

Obama also told parents that they should not try to be “friends” with their children.