Jay Van Bavel, PhD
@jayvanbavel.bsky.social
Professor of Psychology at NYU (jayvanbavel.com) | Author of The Power of Us Book (powerofus.online) | Director of NYU Center for Conflict & Cooperation | trying to write a new book about collective decisions
Pinned
Are a few people ruining the internet for the rest of us?
Why does the online world seem so toxic compared with normal life? Our research shows that a small number of divisive accounts could be responsible – and offers a way out
www.theguardian.com
Only a small % of people engage in toxic activity online, but they’re responsible for a disproportionate share of hostile or misleading content on nearly every platform
Because super-users are so active, they dominate our collective impression of the internet www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...
Because super-users are so active, they dominate our collective impression of the internet www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...
Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD
Effective fertility policy: Remote work. If both parents work at home at least one day/week, they'll average 0.5 more children, pushing toward the “replacement” level of 2.1. A result of opportunity and availability, less time commuting=more time parenting. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/o...
Opinion | Want More Babies? Abolish Commutes.
www.nytimes.com
February 10, 2026 at 1:21 AM
Effective fertility policy: Remote work. If both parents work at home at least one day/week, they'll average 0.5 more children, pushing toward the “replacement” level of 2.1. A result of opportunity and availability, less time commuting=more time parenting. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/o...
The authors concluded that lowering smart phone usage is important and more comprehensive policies are needed (see their main conclusions below, and read the full paper for details)
February 9, 2026 at 9:07 PM
The authors concluded that lowering smart phone usage is important and more comprehensive policies are needed (see their main conclusions below, and read the full paper for details)
One reason why school policies might not have had an impact, is that students were using phones for 4-6 hours/day and more estrictive policies barely reduced overall phone usage.
This is why these effects are hard to interpret (setting aside selection bias, self report, and other limitations).
This is why these effects are hard to interpret (setting aside selection bias, self report, and other limitations).
February 9, 2026 at 9:07 PM
One reason why school policies might not have had an impact, is that students were using phones for 4-6 hours/day and more estrictive policies barely reduced overall phone usage.
This is why these effects are hard to interpret (setting aside selection bias, self report, and other limitations).
This is why these effects are hard to interpret (setting aside selection bias, self report, and other limitations).
One study found that schools with more restrictive policies did not impact student mental health.
But the same study found that phone use/social media time was associated with worse anxiety, depression, etc.
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
But the same study found that phone use/social media time was associated with worse anxiety, depression, etc.
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
February 9, 2026 at 9:06 PM
One study found that schools with more restrictive policies did not impact student mental health.
But the same study found that phone use/social media time was associated with worse anxiety, depression, etc.
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
But the same study found that phone use/social media time was associated with worse anxiety, depression, etc.
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
A recent field experiment investigated algorithmic amplification by re-ranking content favored by the X/Twitter algorithm. When antidemocratic content was downranked, participants’ outgroup animosity declined compared to a control group that was exposed to the standard X/Twitter algorithm.
February 9, 2026 at 7:01 PM
A recent field experiment investigated algorithmic amplification by re-ranking content favored by the X/Twitter algorithm. When antidemocratic content was downranked, participants’ outgroup animosity declined compared to a control group that was exposed to the standard X/Twitter algorithm.
The algorithmic curation of information online can exacerbate polarization and support the spread of misinformation.
This review makes the case that social media algorithms amplify content from extreme parties, especially the far right, and threatens democracy.
www.science.org/doi/full/10....
This review makes the case that social media algorithms amplify content from extreme parties, especially the far right, and threatens democracy.
www.science.org/doi/full/10....
February 9, 2026 at 7:01 PM
The algorithmic curation of information online can exacerbate polarization and support the spread of misinformation.
This review makes the case that social media algorithms amplify content from extreme parties, especially the far right, and threatens democracy.
www.science.org/doi/full/10....
This review makes the case that social media algorithms amplify content from extreme parties, especially the far right, and threatens democracy.
www.science.org/doi/full/10....
Yes, he has a long history of ethically-tenuous decision making. Much of it is publicly documented and there was even an investigative documentary about before the Epstein files were released: vimeo.com/850517670
Hamakor - Dan Arieli - English subtitels
This is "Hamakor - Dan Arieli - English subtitels" by Lior Danieli on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.
vimeo.com
February 8, 2026 at 9:17 PM
Yes, he has a long history of ethically-tenuous decision making. Much of it is publicly documented and there was even an investigative documentary about before the Epstein files were released: vimeo.com/850517670
The potential harms of big social media is now going in front of a jury, who will see internal evidence, emalls, etc.
“The jury will ultimately decide whether the companies were negligent, if they contributed to mental health harms, and if they should have warned young users about the risks.”
“The jury will ultimately decide whether the companies were negligent, if they contributed to mental health harms, and if they should have warned young users about the risks.”
February 8, 2026 at 6:36 PM
The potential harms of big social media is now going in front of a jury, who will see internal evidence, emalls, etc.
“The jury will ultimately decide whether the companies were negligent, if they contributed to mental health harms, and if they should have warned young users about the risks.”
“The jury will ultimately decide whether the companies were negligent, if they contributed to mental health harms, and if they should have warned young users about the risks.”
Wow, Duke University just closed the Center for Advanced Hindsight:
February 8, 2026 at 6:27 PM
Wow, Duke University just closed the Center for Advanced Hindsight:
Ask yourself:
-Do you see your values being represented and practiced by these people?
-Are they in alignment with you, and in the type of life you want to be leading?
-Will joining this group help push you to become the person you want to be?
-Do you see your values being represented and practiced by these people?
-Are they in alignment with you, and in the type of life you want to be leading?
-Will joining this group help push you to become the person you want to be?
February 8, 2026 at 5:58 PM
Ask yourself:
-Do you see your values being represented and practiced by these people?
-Are they in alignment with you, and in the type of life you want to be leading?
-Will joining this group help push you to become the person you want to be?
-Do you see your values being represented and practiced by these people?
-Are they in alignment with you, and in the type of life you want to be leading?
-Will joining this group help push you to become the person you want to be?
You should think very carefully about what groups you join, because that will shape your whole identity and how you think, behave, and what you care about.
practiceofthepractice.com/how-your-gro...
practiceofthepractice.com/how-your-gro...
How Your Group Identity Shapes Who You Become with NYU Professor Jay Van Bavel | POP 1339 - How to Start, Grow, and Scale a Private Practice | Practice of the Practice
In this podcast episode, Joe Sanok discusses why your group identity determines so much with NYU Professor Jay Van Bavel, PhD.
practiceofthepractice.com
February 8, 2026 at 5:58 PM
You should think very carefully about what groups you join, because that will shape your whole identity and how you think, behave, and what you care about.
practiceofthepractice.com/how-your-gro...
practiceofthepractice.com/how-your-gro...
Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD
Important argument on need to bring back public deliberation of moral and values trade-offs to bring meaning back. Economic ideas can obscure such choices.
Here are some ideas about how to bring values back into public reasoning and policymaking.
knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/projects-act...
Here are some ideas about how to bring values back into public reasoning and policymaking.
knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/projects-act...
Values & Identities - a policymaker's guide - Knowledge for policy - European Commission
The JRC has published a report that supports policymakers in understanding and interpreting value orientations and social identities that are relevant for policymaking.
knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu
February 8, 2026 at 2:20 PM
Important argument on need to bring back public deliberation of moral and values trade-offs to bring meaning back. Economic ideas can obscure such choices.
Here are some ideas about how to bring values back into public reasoning and policymaking.
knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/projects-act...
Here are some ideas about how to bring values back into public reasoning and policymaking.
knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/projects-act...
But the effect will likely be even bigger for young kids who will form a sense of identity that can last for many decades. We explain why people bond to teams and why underdogs are uniquely appealing: www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/rerun-the-...
How the Super Bowl will fundamentally change the identity of millions of kids
We explain why winning increases identity and why underdogs have a unique appeal
www.powerofusnewsletter.com
February 7, 2026 at 10:39 PM
But the effect will likely be even bigger for young kids who will form a sense of identity that can last for many decades. We explain why people bond to teams and why underdogs are uniquely appealing: www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/rerun-the-...
But the impact of the Super Bowl will extend far beyond the field. This singular event will have an impact on the sense of self for countless people. It’s one of the rare moments in our society where it’s socially acceptable for grown men to cry in public. www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/rerun-the-...
How the Super Bowl will fundamentally change the identity of millions of kids
We explain why winning increases identity and why underdogs have a unique appeal
www.powerofusnewsletter.com
February 7, 2026 at 10:39 PM
But the impact of the Super Bowl will extend far beyond the field. This singular event will have an impact on the sense of self for countless people. It’s one of the rare moments in our society where it’s socially acceptable for grown men to cry in public. www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/rerun-the-...
The Super Bowl will spawn countless new fans
Playing on the same team can bind people together in powerful ways--and winning makes everything better:
Successful teams forge a shared identity, and connections between teammates reducing discrimination
www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/rerun-the-...
Playing on the same team can bind people together in powerful ways--and winning makes everything better:
Successful teams forge a shared identity, and connections between teammates reducing discrimination
www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/rerun-the-...
How the Super Bowl will fundamentally change the identity of millions of kids
We explain why winning increases identity and why underdogs have a unique appeal
www.powerofusnewsletter.com
February 7, 2026 at 10:38 PM
The Super Bowl will spawn countless new fans
Playing on the same team can bind people together in powerful ways--and winning makes everything better:
Successful teams forge a shared identity, and connections between teammates reducing discrimination
www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/rerun-the-...
Playing on the same team can bind people together in powerful ways--and winning makes everything better:
Successful teams forge a shared identity, and connections between teammates reducing discrimination
www.powerofusnewsletter.com/p/rerun-the-...
TikTok settled a lawsuit in Los Angeles last month just before trial. It was the first of a series of cases expected to be heard this year against the company, as well as Meta, YouTube and Snap. The suits have been filed by thousands of individuals, school districts and state attorneys general.
February 7, 2026 at 7:30 PM
TikTok settled a lawsuit in Los Angeles last month just before trial. It was the first of a series of cases expected to be heard this year against the company, as well as Meta, YouTube and Snap. The suits have been filed by thousands of individuals, school districts and state attorneys general.
This is first time that a legal standard for social media addictiveness had been applied anywhere in the world. TikTok and other social media companies are under mounting global pressure, including facing Big Tobacco-inspired lawsuits in the United States for hooking young users
February 7, 2026 at 7:30 PM
This is first time that a legal standard for social media addictiveness had been applied anywhere in the world. TikTok and other social media companies are under mounting global pressure, including facing Big Tobacco-inspired lawsuits in the United States for hooking young users
Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD
Thrilled to share our latest paper, out now in Science Advances! We explored the development of cooperative behaviors — fairness, trustworthiness, forgiveness, & honesty — across five societies, culturally contextualizing them & seeing how they correlate. (1/5) www.science.org/doi/full/10....
February 7, 2026 at 3:09 PM
Thrilled to share our latest paper, out now in Science Advances! We explored the development of cooperative behaviors — fairness, trustworthiness, forgiveness, & honesty — across five societies, culturally contextualizing them & seeing how they correlate. (1/5) www.science.org/doi/full/10....
The Europian Union argues TikTok's ‘Addictive Design’ features violate online safety laws
A Pew poll found that 16% of teens were on TikTok “almost constantly.” The EU says TikTok poses potential harm to the “physical and mental well-being” of users, including minors
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/b...
A Pew poll found that 16% of teens were on TikTok “almost constantly.” The EU says TikTok poses potential harm to the “physical and mental well-being” of users, including minors
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/b...
Europe Accuses TikTok of ‘Addictive Design’ and Pushes for Change
www.nytimes.com
February 7, 2026 at 7:29 PM
The Europian Union argues TikTok's ‘Addictive Design’ features violate online safety laws
A Pew poll found that 16% of teens were on TikTok “almost constantly.” The EU says TikTok poses potential harm to the “physical and mental well-being” of users, including minors
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/b...
A Pew poll found that 16% of teens were on TikTok “almost constantly.” The EU says TikTok poses potential harm to the “physical and mental well-being” of users, including minors
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/b...
Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD
Collaborative groups often outperform single individuals in complex problem solving. A new paper examined how to create the right incentives to promote this kind of collective intelligence.
www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10....
www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10....
January 27, 2026 at 8:31 PM
Collaborative groups often outperform single individuals in complex problem solving. A new paper examined how to create the right incentives to promote this kind of collective intelligence.
www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10....
www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10....
Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD
Across social media platforms, political posting is linked to affective polarization--extreme users post the most.
As polarized partisans increasingly dominate the conversation, casual users disengage and the online public sphere grows smaller, sharper, and more extreme. arxiv.org/html/2510.25...
As polarized partisans increasingly dominate the conversation, casual users disengage and the online public sphere grows smaller, sharper, and more extreme. arxiv.org/html/2510.25...
February 5, 2026 at 8:02 PM
Across social media platforms, political posting is linked to affective polarization--extreme users post the most.
As polarized partisans increasingly dominate the conversation, casual users disengage and the online public sphere grows smaller, sharper, and more extreme. arxiv.org/html/2510.25...
As polarized partisans increasingly dominate the conversation, casual users disengage and the online public sphere grows smaller, sharper, and more extreme. arxiv.org/html/2510.25...
Reposted by Jay Van Bavel, PhD
After four months, the journal has not found a single reviewer for my PhD student's manuscript. The academic peer review system is broken.
I think we all should:
1. Review three papers for every one that we submit.
2. Promptly declined to review a paper when the request arrives.
#AcademicChatter
I think we all should:
1. Review three papers for every one that we submit.
2. Promptly declined to review a paper when the request arrives.
#AcademicChatter
February 5, 2026 at 6:43 PM
After four months, the journal has not found a single reviewer for my PhD student's manuscript. The academic peer review system is broken.
I think we all should:
1. Review three papers for every one that we submit.
2. Promptly declined to review a paper when the request arrives.
#AcademicChatter
I think we all should:
1. Review three papers for every one that we submit.
2. Promptly declined to review a paper when the request arrives.
#AcademicChatter
Overall social media use has declined, with the youngest and oldest Americans increasingly abstaining from social media altogether.
February 5, 2026 at 8:02 PM
Overall social media use has declined, with the youngest and oldest Americans increasingly abstaining from social media altogether.
Across social media platforms, political posting is linked to affective polarization--extreme users post the most.
As polarized partisans increasingly dominate the conversation, casual users disengage and the online public sphere grows smaller, sharper, and more extreme. arxiv.org/html/2510.25...
As polarized partisans increasingly dominate the conversation, casual users disengage and the online public sphere grows smaller, sharper, and more extreme. arxiv.org/html/2510.25...
February 5, 2026 at 8:02 PM
Across social media platforms, political posting is linked to affective polarization--extreme users post the most.
As polarized partisans increasingly dominate the conversation, casual users disengage and the online public sphere grows smaller, sharper, and more extreme. arxiv.org/html/2510.25...
As polarized partisans increasingly dominate the conversation, casual users disengage and the online public sphere grows smaller, sharper, and more extreme. arxiv.org/html/2510.25...
This paper is about judgments of people who police extremely minor transgressions, like failing to wash the displace sink or taking an extra long break (see stimuli below).
Thus, the term "hall monitor". The results may not generalize to extreme moral violations (that would require more data)
Thus, the term "hall monitor". The results may not generalize to extreme moral violations (that would require more data)
February 5, 2026 at 7:36 PM
This paper is about judgments of people who police extremely minor transgressions, like failing to wash the displace sink or taking an extra long break (see stimuli below).
Thus, the term "hall monitor". The results may not generalize to extreme moral violations (that would require more data)
Thus, the term "hall monitor". The results may not generalize to extreme moral violations (that would require more data)