Author: unitedfamilies

As I attempt to translate their summary, I find myself reflecting on the whole process of making the familiar strange. That’s what sociologists do: we make something most take for granted strange by looking at it from a different perspective—especially a perspective that includes the characteristics of societies (not just individuals). So I’ll start with the familiar assumption that a couple decides how they will take care of their family based on their joint personal preferences.

Forget having a big wedding and kids — whether by choice or by chance, more Americans are living on their own, continuing a quiet trend that has persisted for decades.

A recent Census Bureau report reveals that 27.6% of all American households were one-person households in 2020 — more than triple 1940 figure of 7.7%.

Smartphones and social media were supposed to bring us closer together. But the more we learn about their effects, the more we see that these tools come with a price. Research by Jean Twenge and others has shown that teens who use social media excessively are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and sleep deprivation. Recently, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory warning that social media are causing a profound mental health crisis among America’s children.