web01.fireside.fm Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:46:43 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Increments - Episodes Tagged with “Parenting” https://www.incrementspodcast.com/tags/parenting Sun, 21 Dec 2025 16:00:00 -0800 Vaden Masrani, a senior research scientist in machine learning, and Ben Chugg, a PhD student in statistics, get into trouble arguing about everything except machine learning and statistics. Coherence is somewhere on the horizon. Bribes, suggestions, love-mail and hate-mail all welcome at incrementspodcast@gmail.com. en-us episodic Science, Philosophy, Epistemology, Mayhem Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani Vaden Masrani, a senior research scientist in machine learning, and Ben Chugg, a PhD student in statistics, get into trouble arguing about everything except machine learning and statistics. Coherence is somewhere on the horizon. Bribes, suggestions, love-mail and hate-mail all welcome at incrementspodcast@gmail.com. no Philosophy,Science,Ethics,Progress,Knowledge,Computer Science,Conversation,Error-Correction Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani incrementspodcast@gmail.com #96 (Bonus) - On the Limits of Introspection https://www.incrementspodcast.com/96 eaa69630-2254-4956-827f-759018a99ddc Sun, 21 Dec 2025 16:00:00 -0800 Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani full Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani In this episode we explore various themes surrounding personal growth, parenting, therapy, and the complexities of introspection. 41:26 no <p>Happy Christmas and Merry Festivus y'all! Today we're releasing a patreon episode, as both of us are away on vacation with the family for the holidays. In this episode we have a meandering discussion about parenting, Robert Kegan's four stages of development, the limits of introspection, and relationship counseling. </p> We discuss <ul> <li>Advice for new fathers </li> <li>Vaden comes out to the world (about snowboarding)</li> <li>Robert Kegan's four stages of development</li> <li>The limits of introspection </li> <li>Countertransference</li> <li>The show Couples Therapy with Dr. Orna Guralnik # Socials</li> <li>Follow us on Twitter at @IncrementsPod, @BennyChugg, @VadenMasrani</li> <li>Come join our discord server! DM us on twitter or send us an email to get a supersecret link</li> <li>Become a patreon subscriber&nbsp;<a href="https://www.patreon.com/Increments" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a>. Or give us one-time cash donations to help cover our lack of cash donations&nbsp;<a href="https://ko-fi.com/increments" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a>.</li> <li>Click dem like buttons on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_4wZzQyoW4s4ZuE4FY9DQQ" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">youtube</a></li> </ul> <p>Introspect a little, and tell us why you haven't signed up to our Patreon feed over at <a href="mailto:incrementspodcast@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">incrementspodcast@gmail.com</a> </p> introspection, therapy, self-identity, psychological development, parenting, countertransference Happy Christmas and Merry Festivus y'all! Today we're releasing a patreon episode, as both of us are away on vacation with the family for the holidays. In this episode we have a meandering discussion about parenting, Robert Kegan's four stages of development, the limits of introspection, and relationship counseling.

We discuss
  • Advice for new fathers
  • Vaden comes out to the world (about snowboarding)
  • Robert Kegan's four stages of development
  • The limits of introspection
  • Countertransference
  • The show Couples Therapy with Dr. Orna Guralnik # Socials
  • Follow us on Twitter at @IncrementsPod, @BennyChugg, @VadenMasrani
  • Come join our discord server! DM us on twitter or send us an email to get a supersecret link
  • Become a patreon subscriber here. Or give us one-time cash donations to help cover our lack of cash donations here.
  • Click dem like buttons on youtube

Introspect a little, and tell us why you haven't signed up to our Patreon feed over at incrementspodcast@gmail.com

Support Increments

]]> Happy Christmas and Merry Festivus y'all! Today we're releasing a patreon episode, as both of us are away on vacation with the family for the holidays. In this episode we have a meandering discussion about parenting, Robert Kegan's four stages of development, the limits of introspection, and relationship counseling.

We discuss
  • Advice for new fathers
  • Vaden comes out to the world (about snowboarding)
  • Robert Kegan's four stages of development
  • The limits of introspection
  • Countertransference
  • The show Couples Therapy with Dr. Orna Guralnik # Socials
  • Follow us on Twitter at @IncrementsPod, @BennyChugg, @VadenMasrani
  • Come join our discord server! DM us on twitter or send us an email to get a supersecret link
  • Become a patreon subscriber here. Or give us one-time cash donations to help cover our lack of cash donations here.
  • Click dem like buttons on youtube

Introspect a little, and tell us why you haven't signed up to our Patreon feed over at incrementspodcast@gmail.com

Support Increments

]]> #82 - Are Screens Really That Bad? Critiquing Jon Haidt's "The Anxious Generation" https://www.incrementspodcast.com/82 99e476d9-0cd2-491a-8be4-b20f154f9019 Thu, 06 Mar 2025 09:30:00 -0800 Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani full Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani A review of Jonathan Haidt's newest book on social media and adolescent mental health. Are we losing a generation to TikTok, or have social scientists forgotten how to make causal claims? 1:52:49 no <p>Anxiety, dispair, loneliness, depression -- all we need is a social media recession! A popular thesis is that All The Bad Things things are on the rise among adolescents because of social media, a view popularized in Jon Haidt's 2024 book <em>The Anxious Generation</em>. Haidt is calling for an end of the "phone-based childhood" and hoping that schools banish all screens for the benefit of its students. </p> <p>But is it true than social media is causing this mental health crisis? Is it true that there even is a mental health crisis? We do a deep dive into Haidt's book to discuss the evidence. </p> We discuss <ul> <li>A weird citation trend in philosophy </li> <li>Whether there is a mental health crisis among teens </li> <li>Some inconsistencies in Haidt's data on mental health outcomes </li> <li>Correlation vs causation, and whether Haidt establishes causation </li> <li>Why on earth do the quality of these studies suck so much?</li> <li>Whether Haidt's conclusions are justified<br></li> </ul> References <ul> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Anxious-Generation-Rewiring-Childhood-Epidemic/dp/0593655036" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">The Anxious Generation</a> </li> <li>Jon Haidt's <a href="https://www.afterbabel.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">After Babel Substack</a> </li> <li>After Babel's <a href="https://www.afterbabel.com/p/social-media-mental-illness-epidemic" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">main post</a> attempting to establish causation, and <a href="https://www.afterbabel.com/p/why-some-researchers-think-im-wrong" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">the response to critics</a>. </li> <li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1diMvsMeRphUH7E6D1d_J7R6WbDdgnzFHDHPx9HXzR5o/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.rqnt07sjvlcd" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Collaborative review doc on adolescent mood disorders</a> </li> <li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w-HOfseF2wF9YIpXwUUtP65-olnkPyWcgF5BiAtBEy0/edit?tab=t.0" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Collaborative review doc on social media and mental health</a> </li> <li><a href="https://matthewbjane.github.io/blog-posts/blog-post-6.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Matthew B Jane's criticism of Haidt's meta-analysis</a> </li> <li><a href="https://reason.com/2023/03/29/the-statistically-flawed-evidence-that-social-media-is-causing-the-teen-mental-health-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Aaron Brown's criticism</a> </li> <li><a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/technology/dont-panic-about-social-media-harming-your-childs-mental-health-the-evidence-is-weak-2230571" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Stuart Ritchie's criticism</a> </li> <li><a href="https://petergray.substack.com/p/45-the-importance-of-critical-analyses" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Peter Gray's criticism</a> </li> </ul> Datasets <ul> <li><a href="https://data-browser.hbsc.org/measure/life-satisfaction/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Unaggregated life satisfaction data for boys/girls ages 11/13/15 across 44 countries</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/suicide-self-harm-monitoring/data/intentional-self-harm-hospitalisations/intentional-self-harm-hospitalisations-by-age-sex" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Australia hospital admissions due to self harm</a> </li> <li><a href="https://drees.solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/2024-05/ER1300EMB.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">France hospital admissions due to self harm</a></li> <li><a href="https://yourhealthsystem.cihi.ca/hsp/inbrief?lang=en&amp;_gl=1*rtyvsz*_gcl_au*MTA5ODMwMzc5MS4xNzM3NTAyMTk0*_ga*MTM0Njk4MTc4MS4xNzM3NTAyMTk0*_ga_44X3CK377B*MTczNzUwMjE5NC4xLjAuMTczNzUwMjIwNi4wLjAuMA..#!/indicators/083/self-harm-including-suicide/;mapC1;mapLevel2;sex(F);trend(C5001,C300);/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Canada</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.cmaj.ca/content/195/36/E1210" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ontario</a> # Socials</li> <li>Follow us on Twitter at @IncrementsPod, @BennyChugg, @VadenMasrani</li> <li>Come join our discord server! DM us on twitter or send us an email to get a supersecret link</li> <li>Become a patreon subscriber&nbsp;<a href="https://www.patreon.com/Increments" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a>. Or give us one-time cash donations to help cover our lack of cash donations&nbsp;<a href="https://ko-fi.com/increments" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a>.</li> <li>Click dem like buttons on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_4wZzQyoW4s4ZuE4FY9DQQ" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">youtube</a></li> </ul> <p>No screen time for a month. If you send an email to <a href="mailto:incrementspodcast@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">incrementspodcast@gmail.com</a>, we're taking away your iPad. </p> <p>Image credit: <a href="https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/social-media-causing-psychological-harm-youth-and-young" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Is social media causing psychological harm to youth and young adults?</a>. </p> social-media, Haidt, anxiety, mental health, parenting Anxiety, dispair, loneliness, depression -- all we need is a social media recession! A popular thesis is that All The Bad Things things are on the rise among adolescents because of social media, a view popularized in Jon Haidt's 2024 book The Anxious Generation. Haidt is calling for an end of the "phone-based childhood" and hoping that schools banish all screens for the benefit of its students.

But is it true than social media is causing this mental health crisis? Is it true that there even is a mental health crisis? We do a deep dive into Haidt's book to discuss the evidence.

We discuss
  • A weird citation trend in philosophy
  • Whether there is a mental health crisis among teens
  • Some inconsistencies in Haidt's data on mental health outcomes
  • Correlation vs causation, and whether Haidt establishes causation
  • Why on earth do the quality of these studies suck so much?
  • Whether Haidt's conclusions are justified
References Datasets

No screen time for a month. If you send an email to incrementspodcast@gmail.com, we're taking away your iPad.

Image credit: Is social media causing psychological harm to youth and young adults?.

Support Increments

]]> Anxiety, dispair, loneliness, depression -- all we need is a social media recession! A popular thesis is that All The Bad Things things are on the rise among adolescents because of social media, a view popularized in Jon Haidt's 2024 book The Anxious Generation. Haidt is calling for an end of the "phone-based childhood" and hoping that schools banish all screens for the benefit of its students.

But is it true than social media is causing this mental health crisis? Is it true that there even is a mental health crisis? We do a deep dive into Haidt's book to discuss the evidence.

We discuss
  • A weird citation trend in philosophy
  • Whether there is a mental health crisis among teens
  • Some inconsistencies in Haidt's data on mental health outcomes
  • Correlation vs causation, and whether Haidt establishes causation
  • Why on earth do the quality of these studies suck so much?
  • Whether Haidt's conclusions are justified
References Datasets

No screen time for a month. If you send an email to incrementspodcast@gmail.com, we're taking away your iPad.

Image credit: Is social media causing psychological harm to youth and young adults?.

Support Increments

]]>