Podcaster, bestselling author and New York University professor Scott Galloway says a type of parenting is contributing to rising rates of depression among teenagers.
Galloway, who wrote the 2025 book “Notes on Being a Man,” pointed to work done by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, his colleague at New York University, and San Diego State psychology professor Jean Twenge.
“(They) have done a lot of work on teen depression, and we’ve seen teen self-harm and depression skyrocket,” Galloway said on the April 21 episode of Craig Melvin’s “Glass Half Full” podcast.
Galloway said their research points to “two fundamental drivers”: social media and a type of childrearing he calls “concierge” or “bulldozer” parenting.
“The second is our fault,” Galloway told Melvin. “And that is as parents, we engage in what’s called concierge or bulldozer parenting, where we clear out every obstacle.”
“‘The kid got a B-plus. Let’s call the teacher. Let’s get tutoring.’ … Whatever it is, we clear out the obstacles for them. We make their life as frictionless as possible,” he added. “There’s no bullying at schools anymore. There’s a lack of it, I should say. And the result is this princess and the pea syndrome. And that is we use so many sanitary wipes on our kids’ lives that they don’t develop their own immunities.”
Galloway said difficult life experiences are vital to growing up.
“At NYU, we talk a lot about mental health and suicide prevention. And one of the reasons it skyrocketed is that an 18-year-old gets to NYU as a freshman and he or she has never had their heart broken. He or she has never gotten a C before. And one or both of those things happen and they don’t have the skills to deal with it,” he said.
Galloway said getting comfortable with rejection is the “only element” to true success.
“If you really want to be successful, if you want to punch above your weight class economically and romantically, then I would say, then get out a big spoon and get ready to eat s—,” he said.
“Because the only thing everyone who you admire, who has a disproportionate amount of influence, economic security, or is with someone (of) higher character and quite frankly hotter than them, the only thing you know for certain is, one, they were either born into exceptional wealth, or, two, they’re comfortable with ‘no,'” he added.
Galloway said his advice comes from personal experience. He said he didn’t get into college at first, got accepted to only one of nine graduate schools he applied to and got one job offer after submitting for 30.
He also said he “endured a great deal of rejection from women” and lost each time he ran for class president in 10th, 11th and 12th grade.
“But here’s the thing, every time I lost, every time a woman said no to me at 6’2”, 140 pounds of bad acne, to go to the movies, I was upset, and then the next day I was a little less upset, and then the next day, by day three, I’m like, ‘I’m fine, I’m OK.’ And you develop calluses, and you develop the skills to endure rejection,” he said.
“So the key to success is the ability to apply for jobs you’re not qualified for, to ask people out on dates who you perceive as being outside of your weight class, romantically, to engage in friends or try to be friends with people you perceive are, for whatever reason, cooler than you. Because the key to wonderful yeses is just a great deal of nos.”
