Students at New York University are all in a tizzy over the individual the school has selected to give this year's commencement address.
The school chose psychology professor Jonathan Haidt to deliver the speech at Yankee Stadium, which sparked an organized campus effort to pressure leadership to rescind its invitation over comments he made about social media and phone-free zones on campus.
The college made the announcement in April, noting that Haidt would also receive an honorary degree alongside others. He is a best-selling author and political commentator who often weighs in on cultural and free speech issues. A university spokesman praised him as “one of the most influential scholars of the 21st century,” according to the New York Times.
As far as I can tell, no student was made to feel unsafe by the swastika that flew over NYU’s campus this week. NYU Prof Jonathan Haidt’s commencement address, however, is some really traumatic stuff. https://t.co/wKRhR2L54n
— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) May 14, 2026
Haidt has long argued that smartphones and social media are causing damage to the mental health and development of young people — especially teenage girls. He slammed the U.S. education system from coddling and shielding students from difficult or problematic ideas.
The professor called on higher-learning institutions to limit mobile phone use on campus and create “phone-free” zones. He has tied the rise in anxiety and depression among adolescents to the prevalence of social media platforms.
WTF are you thinking, NYU, inviting Haidt to insult your own graduates (and debtors)? And no, don't invite Galloway or Petersen in his place.
— Jeff (Gutenberg Parenthesis) Jarvis (@jeffjarvis) May 14, 2026
N.Y.U. Students Object to Speaker Who Calls Their Generation ‘Coddled’ https://t.co/UlbidawSdw
The backlash from NYU’s student government and activist groups centers on his views on smartphone use and his opposition to campus DEI programs. NYU’s school newspaper, Washington Square News, reported that the Student Government Assembly’s Executive Committee slammed Haidt for his “disturbing rhetoric around antiracism, social justice and diversity, equity and inclusion.”
In its statement, the assembly said students “are astonished by the university’s inability to leverage its vast network and unique connections to secure a speaker whose scholarship and global contributions more accurately reflect the values and diversity of its graduates.”
They also complained that Haidt was “too divisive and controversial to platform” and accused him of making “homophobic remarks.”
What’s funny about this is that Haidt is not a conservative. He identifies as liberal. But he hasn’t been on board with the far-leftist extremist elements, which is a cardinal sin to the woke left Sanhedrin.
Another piece of irony is that by whining about Haidt making statements they don't agree with, they are essentially proving his point. These young people have not been equipped to handle political disagreement, which is why they believe that those who have differing views should not be allowed to speak.