Two psychologists are at war over children and phones. Which one is right? – The Irish Times

loaded labels: Describing Gray as a 'hero' introduces an emotionally charged, reverential label that elevates him beyond neutral description.

“Two of my heroes are in conflict”

loaded labels: Referring to Haidt as a 'hero' again uses emotionally loaded language that signals admiration and bias.

“My other hero, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt”

loaded terms: The term 'safetyism' is a politically charged label used pejoratively to dismiss legitimate safety concerns as excessive.

“opposes what it calls safetyism”

moral framing: Describing laws that prosecute unsupervised parenting as 'overzealous' frames them negatively without engaging with their rationale.

“overzealous laws enacted to prosecute parents who do not supervise their children for every moment of the day”

loaded adjectives: Describing Gray as a 'fan' of video games subtly downplays critical engagement and implies uncritical support.

“Gray is a fan”

editorializing: Describing Haidt’s argument as 'persuasively' is an evaluative judgment inserted into news-style reporting, favouring his position.

“Haidt argues persuasively”

cherry picking: Attributing a 'precipitous drop' in mental health solely to smartphones oversimplifies a complex issue without acknowledging other factors in this paragraph.

“can be attributed to the advent of the smartphone”

loaded adjectives: The word 'maelstrom' is emotionally charged and exaggerates the nature of online risks.

“released into a maelstrom of malevolent influences”

loaded adjectives: 'Malevolent influences' is a morally loaded phrase that frames the internet as inherently harmful.

“maelstrom of malevolent influences”

fear appeal: Phrasing about 'predictably dire results' invokes fear without quantifying or contextualising the outcomes.

“predictably dire results for mental health”

loaded adjectives: Describing Gray’s reaction as 'horrified' introduces a strong emotional tone that frames his response as extreme.

“he was horrified”

framing by emphasis: Characterising age restrictions as 'repeating the mistakes' frames regulation as inherently wrong without balanced discussion.

“repeating the mistakes made by parents for the past 70 years”

cherry picking: Blaming Common Core without acknowledging broader international trends limits the scope of analysis and omits global context.

“He blames schools instead, specifically the 2010 introduction of the US Common Core State Standards Initiative”

vague attribution: Referring to 'other prominent psychologists' without naming them leaves the reader unable to assess their credibility or representativeness.

“They describe the evidence as inconclusive”

missing historical context: Pointing out Common Core’s US-only scope critiques Gray’s argument but does not acknowledge whether he addresses international data in his full work.

“The problem with Gray’s thesis is that Common Core only exists in the US”

editorializing: The phrase 'I think' signals personal opinion, which is appropriate in commentary but blurs the line in an article framed as analysis.

“I think both Gray and Haidt are right”

fear appeal: The metaphor 'play in the traffic' invokes danger to justify surveillance, using fear to shape perception.

“We cannot tell our children to go and play in the traffic”

vague attribution: Referring to 'a Mary Immaculate College study' without citation or detail prevents verification and weakens sourcing.

“A Mary Immaculate College study found”

loaded adjectives: Describing Gray as 'naive' is a judgmental term that undermines his position without neutral framing.

“I think Gray is naive”

shock appeal: The statement about viewing 'footage of a real rape before ever having a first kiss' is designed to shock and provoke emotional response.

“a child is likely to view footage of a real rape before ever having a first kiss”

strawmanning: Attributing the idea that children should have 'freedom to roam the internet' to Gray may misrepresent his actual position, which is about learning to navigate, not unrestricted access.

“Gray is naive about the freedom to roam the internet”

outrage appeal: Using 'furore' to describe potential reaction to adult social media bans evokes emotional resistance rather than reasoned discussion.

“Consider the furore that would ensue”

loaded verbs: The word 'covertly' frames parental surveillance as sneaky or unethical, introducing moral judgment.

“love the opportunity phones provide to covertly surveil our children”

editorializing: Asserting that Haidt and Gray 'speak a lot of sense' and that 'not enough of us are listening' is a value-laden conclusion.

“Haidt and Gray still speak a lot of sense – unfortunately not enough of us are listening”