Anthony Painter
@anthonypainter.bsky.social
Policy. Political economy. Increasing bewilderment.
"The Three Economies" Substack here: https://open.substack.com/pub/anthonypainter
#ynwa
"The Three Economies" Substack here: https://open.substack.com/pub/anthonypainter
#ynwa
His notion of proving causality is cherry picking as much research as possible in a field where there is inevitably publication bias anyhow and then doing "new data dumps"and shouting voila.
Whether he's right or not this is a dreadful way to do policy. Brazenly tapping into parental anxiety.
Whether he's right or not this is a dreadful way to do policy. Brazenly tapping into parental anxiety.
January 19, 2026 at 9:37 PM
His notion of proving causality is cherry picking as much research as possible in a field where there is inevitably publication bias anyhow and then doing "new data dumps"and shouting voila.
Whether he's right or not this is a dreadful way to do policy. Brazenly tapping into parental anxiety.
Whether he's right or not this is a dreadful way to do policy. Brazenly tapping into parental anxiety.
We made them do it. Because we were annoying and all fact based and all that stuff.
January 19, 2026 at 9:29 PM
We made them do it. Because we were annoying and all fact based and all that stuff.
Shocking. Imagine if we'd done that with alcohol.
January 19, 2026 at 9:24 PM
Shocking. Imagine if we'd done that with alcohol.
And the idea that if you block social media access you suddenly get shiny happy teenagers, dancing to forest adventures and immunity to everything else in modern culture and society....feels thin.
January 19, 2026 at 9:21 PM
And the idea that if you block social media access you suddenly get shiny happy teenagers, dancing to forest adventures and immunity to everything else in modern culture and society....feels thin.
If this is *the* critical factor behind recent teen ill health then why would removing the factor not result in better mental health?
(My working hypothesis btw is social media hits particular sub groups hard. And that shows up in population data. But we don't know. Nor what policies might work.)
(My working hypothesis btw is social media hits particular sub groups hard. And that shows up in population data. But we don't know. Nor what policies might work.)
January 19, 2026 at 9:18 PM
If this is *the* critical factor behind recent teen ill health then why would removing the factor not result in better mental health?
(My working hypothesis btw is social media hits particular sub groups hard. And that shows up in population data. But we don't know. Nor what policies might work.)
(My working hypothesis btw is social media hits particular sub groups hard. And that shows up in population data. But we don't know. Nor what policies might work.)
Crazy isn't it. How on earth did that one come about? Pure member democracy?
January 19, 2026 at 8:13 PM
Crazy isn't it. How on earth did that one come about? Pure member democracy?
He doesn't know Norway and Denmark are different countries does he?
January 19, 2026 at 7:12 PM
He doesn't know Norway and Denmark are different countries does he?
I can post screen grabs.....
Ok. I won't. No need to shout.
Ok. I won't. No need to shout.
January 19, 2026 at 6:57 PM
I can post screen grabs.....
Ok. I won't. No need to shout.
Ok. I won't. No need to shout.
Yep. But parents will feel a sense of virtue and can go back to pretending it's not happening. Our happy place.
January 19, 2026 at 6:28 PM
Yep. But parents will feel a sense of virtue and can go back to pretending it's not happening. Our happy place.
Yes. If it's good enough for the Leader of the Opposition then it's good enough for everyone else. She's a parent so she just *knows*.
January 19, 2026 at 6:27 PM
Yes. If it's good enough for the Leader of the Opposition then it's good enough for everyone else. She's a parent so she just *knows*.
Yep. I don't know what the correct ultimate policy should be. But I do know this policy process is shocking.
And it will happen.
And it will happen.
January 19, 2026 at 6:24 PM
Yep. I don't know what the correct ultimate policy should be. But I do know this policy process is shocking.
And it will happen.
And it will happen.
I am so close to posting "if you read 300 pages of Haidt, you can read this".
www.nationalacademies.org/read/27396/c...
www.nationalacademies.org/read/27396/c...
January 19, 2026 at 5:58 PM
I am so close to posting "if you read 300 pages of Haidt, you can read this".
www.nationalacademies.org/read/27396/c...
www.nationalacademies.org/read/27396/c...
And didn't cost you £15k.
January 19, 2026 at 5:44 PM
And didn't cost you £15k.
Yes, it was the same "assistant" I used....
January 19, 2026 at 4:17 PM
Yes, it was the same "assistant" I used....
AGI is going to have to move beyond the dog ate my homework.....
January 19, 2026 at 2:55 PM
AGI is going to have to move beyond the dog ate my homework.....
From 1933 to 1936 in a week. Hope this rate of change slows down.
January 19, 2026 at 2:54 PM
From 1933 to 1936 in a week. Hope this rate of change slows down.
I put together a graph using AI. I asked it where it got the data from? It broke down like a five year-old. Apologised for making things up, serving up false representation. Pathetic.
I used it anyway of course as it made the point I wanted to make.
(for clarification future trolls, I didn't)
I used it anyway of course as it made the point I wanted to make.
(for clarification future trolls, I didn't)
January 19, 2026 at 2:24 PM
I put together a graph using AI. I asked it where it got the data from? It broke down like a five year-old. Apologised for making things up, serving up false representation. Pathetic.
I used it anyway of course as it made the point I wanted to make.
(for clarification future trolls, I didn't)
I used it anyway of course as it made the point I wanted to make.
(for clarification future trolls, I didn't)
Don't ever let them forget. Threaten to annex their front lawn.
January 19, 2026 at 2:18 PM
Don't ever let them forget. Threaten to annex their front lawn.
Why aim so low when there's prestigious global peace prizes to be won? Like the FIFA one.
January 19, 2026 at 2:17 PM
Why aim so low when there's prestigious global peace prizes to be won? Like the FIFA one.
I'm clearly very naive. Tbh Just good that LinkedIn is beyond the "new me"/"I'm humbled by this MBE" phase of the year.
January 19, 2026 at 1:26 PM
I'm clearly very naive. Tbh Just good that LinkedIn is beyond the "new me"/"I'm humbled by this MBE" phase of the year.
None of the solutions are short-term. We can't just magic security independence or re-join the single market overnight. But we can set a firm course and at least have a national debate and discussion.
January 19, 2026 at 11:10 AM
None of the solutions are short-term. We can't just magic security independence or re-join the single market overnight. But we can set a firm course and at least have a national debate and discussion.