Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt delivered an upbeat speech to students despite the controversy.
WireImage
Jonathan Haidt entered Yankee Stadium Thursday as one of New York University’s most controversial commencement speakers in recent memory — and he left the graduates with a surprisingly upbeat message for the future.
Before the ceremony, the students had he protested NYU’s decision to select the social psychologist and Stern School of Business professor as its commencement speaker, arguing that the selection of Haidt, an outspoken critic of cancellation culture, does not support “the values of inclusion, care and respect for the graduating class” that they deserve. During the ceremony, some students booed Hyde as he spoke while others walked away.
But Haidt—bestselling author The Anxious Generation—used the moment less to rekindle the culture wars than to deliver what sounded, in many ways, like a keynote speech about an economy of distraction.
His key message to the Class of 2026: Your attention is your most valuable asset and you should guard it accordingly.
“Treasure your attention,” Hyde told the graduates. “What you pay attention to shapes what you care about and what you care about shapes what you become.” Here’s what he advised:
Spend your attention like capital
Haidt framed attention as a scarce and increasingly useful resource. In a digital economy based on engagement, he warned graduates that some of the world’s biggest companies are aggressively competing for their focus.
“Meta is worth more than a trillion dollars, even though few of us have given money to it,” he said. “Because he invented a business model that takes the attention away from nearly half the people on the planet and sells it to advertisers.”
He described social media, games and even investment apps as industries that are increasingly being “gamified” to maximize screen time and distraction.
Drawing on exercises from his NYU Stern course, Flourishing, Haidt said students are often shocked by how much better life feels after turning off notifications or deleting social media apps from their phones for even a week.
“They have valuable hours back each day and a sense of commitment to how to spend that time,” he said. “For you and your life, it is priceless.”
You do difficult things because resilience compounds
Hyde also argued that graduates should stop fearing discomfort and actively seek challenges.
“You have to do hard things,” he said.
Then came the biggest laugh of the speech: “In the words of two great philosophers, Friedrich Nietzsche and Kelly Clarkson, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
Hyde connected the theme to fellow NYU professor Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s idea of being “anti-fragile” – the idea that people become stronger, rather than weaker, through stress and adversity.
“Take chances,” he urged. “Say yes to anything that will expand your possibilities.” That may lead to better results, Haidt suggested.
Invest in real-world relationships
Hyde saved some of his strongest advice for relationships, warning graduates of the “strange kind of loneliness” that can come with growing up in hyper-connected cities.
“Friendship now requires a lot more intention than it once did,” he said.
He encouraged graduates to prioritize real-world connection over digital interaction: Call people, invite friends to dinner, say yes to invitations and “be the one who makes things happen in the real world.”
And he closed with a broader message about thriving in an age of distraction.
“If you value your intention and then use it to do hard things in real life with other people, then — and trust me as a social psychologist,” Hyde said, “your life will be amazing and the world will be a much better place because you’re in it.”
More at Forbes
