Mars
Haidt structures the Introduction and Conclusion with a thought experiment in which he asks parents to imagine the quandary of whether they should send their child to be among the first to colonize Mars. Mars lacks a magnetosphere, which means that solar wind, cosmic rays, and other streams of harmful particles would reach the surface. There, those ions would elevate the risk of cancer in anyone present, especially children since their cells are developing and diversifying more rapidly. In terms of gravity, Mars also only has "38% of what a child would experience on Earth," which would deform a child's skeleton, heart, eyes, and brain. All of this imagery paints a picture of harm, one that Haidt compares to unmitigated technology use.
Playgrounds and Imaginative Play
When Haidt discusses the need for risky play in Chapter 3, he includes images and descriptions of playgrounds, which are physical outdoor areas that often include structures and equipment for children to play on. In one image, children climb on, swing, and hang from a structure with high bars. Should they fall, they could easily suffer concussions, fractures, dislocations, or other injuries. The lack of safety features contrasts with modern playgrounds, which Haidt argues overprotect children and stunt their development. Adventure playgrounds (designed for imaginative play) strike a balance between the dangerous playgrounds of the early-to-mid 20th century and the overly safe playgrounds of the modern era. Haidt provides two examples of adventure playgrounds. One is a "junk playground" filled with miscellaneous things such as building materials, ropes, and other tools. The other is a nature playground, which "uses natural materials, especially wood, stone, and water."
Firehose of Addictive Content
In the Introduction, Haidt construes online content as "a firehose of addictive content that entered through kids’ eyes and ears." A fire hose is a high-pressure hose that carries water or other fire retardant to a fire to extinguish it. This striking image portrays the design of digital media as an assault on children's senses, time, and cognition. Critics who take issue with Haidt's charged language point out this image in particular (Faber).
Curating Social Media Posts
In Chapter 6, Haidt quotes Jessica Torres, who ran a plus-size fashion blog, from an essay titled “How Being a Social Media Influencer Has Impacted My Mental Health.” In the essay, Torres writes, "the hundreds of dollars and time spent on one Instagram photo felt like a waste. Nothing was perfect enough to post." This paints a vivid sensory picture of someone agonizing over filters, lighting, and her own image to pursue unattainable perfection. This demonstrates the labor that can go into a single post, and it supports Haidt's assertion that excessive time spent online drains a person's resources (time, money, energy, relationships, etc).
