We are told Gen Z is plagued with mental health problems — deathly afraid of disagreement, life, Donald Trump, one another… What is going on? Is the younger generation’s mental health crisis real? If so, is there a resolution?
You likely all read (or at least heard about) Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt’s game-changing book, “The Coddling of the American Mind.” Now the book is coming to life in documentary form. Directed by Ted Balaker, the film follows five twenty-somethings who entered college with high hopes only to be confronted with identity politics, social media hysteria, and cancel culture, leading the students to face anxiety, depression, and fear.
The Coddling of the American Mind Movie is trying something new, and will be the first-ever "Substack presents" feature documentary—released exclusively on Substack on February 22.
I spoke with Ted Balaker about the film, some of the stories featured in the film, and how these students managed to break free from the anxiety-inducing politics of elite, woke universities and politicized social media culture.
The Coddling of the American mind comes to life