Under the Influence

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From New York Times bestselling author and economics columnist Robert Frank comes a revelatory exploration of social context's power and potential. Psychologists have long recognized that social environments significantly influence behavior, sometimes positively but often negatively. Notably, social influence operates both ways: our choices shape our environments. Society typically supports regulations that protect individuals from physical harm, such as smoking restrictions to shield bystanders from secondhand smoke. However, we have been slower to adopt similar measures to discourage harmful social environments, overlooking how behaviors like smoking can encourage others to smoke as well. Frank attributes this regulatory imbalance to the belief that individuals should be responsible for their actions. He argues that this belief can coexist with public policies that promote supportive social environments. Parents generally wish their children avoid becoming smokers, bullies, or problem drinkers, but these hopes diminish when such behaviors are prevalent. While the negative impacts of social behaviors are challenging to quantify, Frank insists that policymakers should not overlook them. The encouraging news is that simple policy measures could create more supportive environments without resorting to a nanny state or imposing significant sacrifices.