Is Social Media Breaking Our Kids? ft. Steve Joordens

Kids are losing the ability to talk face-to-face — and social media may be the reason.
Steve Joordens explains how phones, AI, dopamine, and anxiety are reshaping a generation.

In this episode, we break down:
• Why children under 16 are at the centre of new social media regulations
• How addictive social media platforms use random rewards and dopamine loops
• Why smartphones, texting, and social media may be fuelling social anxiety in young people
• How the loss of face-to-face communication is showing up in universities, job fairs, and workplaces
• Why AI may be used to rebuild conversation skills damaged by technology
• The growing concern around AI friends, loneliness, shallow relationships, and human connection
• How social anxiety could affect dating, marriage, birth rates, and the future of society

Hosts: Paul Micucci
Guests: Steve Joordens

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:05 Steve Joordens joins the show
01:52 Canada’s proposed Safe Social Media Act
03:05 Why technology regulation may be overdue
05:13 Raising kids without smartphones
06:58 Meta lawsuits, Australia bans, and global pressure on Big Tech
08:42 Why social media is so addictive for children
10:08 Brain development, dopamine, and impulse control
11:08 Phones in bed and the sleep crisis
11:40 Video games, parenting, and limiting technology
13:05 How this is impacting universities and workplaces
14:31 Social connection, anxiety, and student mental health
16:06 Fear of negative evaluation and social media comparison
17:20 Why texting removes emotional cues
18:20 Job fairs, QR codes, and workplace communication struggles
20:46 Why social fluency is becoming a superpower
21:57 Using AI to help students practice conversation
23:54 AI at the Toronto Zoo and in consulting firms
25:23 Using technology to undo technology’s damage
26:39 Social anxiety in boardrooms and project teams
28:43 Emotional resonance, trust, and non-verbal communication
31:47 Consulting, young workers, and the future of professional firms
34:14 AI empathy and the risk of replacing human connection
36:23 Bill C-63, online harms, and social media policy
37:57 Dopamine, addiction, and behaviour
40:42 Why dopamine is about the chase, not the reward
43:33 AI friends, loneliness, and fake connection
45:51 Social anxiety, relationships, marriage, and birth rates
48:04 Gen Z, trust-based relationships, and human connection
48:50 Closing thoughts

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#SocialMedia #MentalHealth #AI #Parenting #Dopamine