#637 - Tony Volk - The Evolutionary Psychology Of Bullying

Jean Briggs

Interestingly, one of the things that really tuned me into the evolutionary research is a book by Jean Briggs, Never in Anger.

Jean Twenge

60% of teenagers, girls say that they have persistent or regular feelings of hopelessness.

Jean Twenge

60% of teenagers, girls say that they have persistent or regular feelings of hopelessness.

Guest: Tony Volk

Episode summary

Tony Volk is a psychologist, professor of Evolutionary Psychology at Brock University, a researcher and an author. Almost everyone will encounter bullying at some point in our lives. Be it in school, sports or even at the workplace, there seems to be no shortage of individuals ready to prey on others. But why does bullying exist? Why is it so ubiquitous? And what are the adaptive reasons why people engage in it? Expect to learn whether bullying actually serves any purpose in society, whether bullying is heritable from parents, what factors can predict whether you will be a bully, whether broken homes make bullying kids, which people are most likely to be victim, whether bullying has got worse over time, what to do if you're the parent of a bully or a victim and much more... Extra Stuff: Check out Tony's website - https://brocku.ca/volk-developmental-science-lab/ Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

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Jean Briggs

The host mentions 'Never in Anger' to illustrate the unique social norms of the Labrador Inuit regarding anger and bu…

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Jean Twenge

The host discusses the impact of social media on bullying, particularly among girls, referencing Jean Twenge's book '…

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bullying and social dynamics(1)bullying and social media(1)impact of social media(1)

Jean Twenge

The host mentions 'iGen' to highlight the concerning mental health statistics among teenagers, particularly girls, in…

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The conversation centers on bullying and social dynamics.
A second recurring theme is bullying and social media.
Referenced books include Never in Anger by Jean Briggs and Generations by Jean Twenge.
The strongest audience signal points to Researchers and individuals interested in social behavior and anthropology and Parents and educators concerned about youth mental health.

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Critical Analysis(2)Deep Dive(1)

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Researchers and individuals interested in social behavior and anthropologyParents and educators concerned about youth mental health

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Jean Briggs

Best for Researchers and individuals interested in social behavior and anthropologyOften cited around bullying and social dynamics

“It's a book about her life with the Labrador Inuit, the Eskimo people. I don't know what the Inuit are. They have a social norm that you're not allowed to express anger.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: bullying and social dynamics

For: Researchers and individuals interested in social behavior and anthropology

Key quote: “Interestingly, one of the things that really tuned me into the evolutionary research is a book by Jean Briggs, Never in Anger.”

The host mentions 'Never in Anger' to illustrate the unique social norms of the Labrador Inuit regarding anger and bullying. This context helps to explore the complexities of group dynamics and bullying behavior in both ancestral and modern settings.

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Jean Twenge

Best for Parents and educators concerned about youth mental healthOften cited around bullying and social media

“I had Jean Twange on the show recently, a lady that wrote iGen and her new book, Generations.”

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Sentiment: Critical Analysis

Trigger: bullying and social media

For: Parents and educators concerned about youth mental health

Key quote: “60% of teenagers, girls say that they have persistent or regular feelings of hopelessness.”

The host discusses the impact of social media on bullying, particularly among girls, referencing Jean Twenge's book 'Generations' to highlight alarming statistics about mental health. The mention serves to underscore the systemic issues exacerbated by technology that contribute to feelings of hopelessness among teenagers.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Check price

Jean Twenge

Best for Parents and educators concerned about youth mental healthOften cited around impact of social media

“I had Jean Twange on the show recently, a lady that wrote iGen and her new book, Generations.”

View mention details

Sentiment: Critical Analysis

Trigger: impact of social media

For: Parents and educators concerned about youth mental health

Key quote: “60% of teenagers, girls say that they have persistent or regular feelings of hopelessness.”

The host mentions 'iGen' to highlight the concerning mental health statistics among teenagers, particularly girls, in relation to social media use. The book provides insights into how technology and social dynamics contribute to feelings of hopelessness and bullying among youth.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

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Never in Anger

Modern Wisdom · 48:50

Interestingly, one of the things that really tuned me into the evolutionary research is a book by Jean Briggs, Never in Anger.

Generations

Modern Wisdom · 53:34

60% of teenagers, girls say that they have persistent or regular feelings of hopelessness.

iGen

Modern Wisdom · 53:34

60% of teenagers, girls say that they have persistent or regular feelings of hopelessness.

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Mentioned at 48:50

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Jean Briggs

The host mentions 'Never in Anger' to illustrate the unique social norms of the Labrador Inuit regarding anger and bullying. This context helps to…

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Mentioned at 53:34

Check price Jump to mention

Jean Twenge

The host discusses the impact of social media on bullying, particularly among girls, referencing Jean Twenge's book 'Generations' to highlight alar…

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Mentioned at 53:34