Meta considered a ‘whisper strategy’ to turn academics against Jonathan Haidt

As Meta was feeling public pressure over teen mental health, and facing an impending onslaught of kids safety trials , the company considered a campaign to discredit a key critic: social psychologist Jonathan Haidt. Newly filed court documents show that in March 2023, Meta discussed a "Whisper strategy" to "turn academics against Haidt," a thought leader who blamed social media for rising adolescent depression and anxiety. Haidt hadn't yet published his bestselling book, The Anxious Generation,