America is the wealthiest country in the world. But it is not the happiest. In fact, it ranks 23rd. Young people, especially, struggle with anxiety and depression. And, according to Pew Research, 79% of teens are at least very concerned or somewhat concerned about their mental health.
Cell Phone Use
Some of the teen mental health concerns can be traced to social media – 45 % of teens say they “spend too much time” on the apps. Some of the concerns are linked to phone usage in general, as 4 in 10 teens say they spend too much time on their phones, according to Pew Research.
R.R. Reno, editor of First Things, the influential journal of religion, told Drew Mariani he recommends nature as an “antidote” to the world of screens. “There’s a way in which the sheer reality of God’s creation helps to anchor a young person.”
Anti-Life Ideology
Reno is also concerned about the rise of childless adults. For many decades, young people have been bombarded by anti-life ideologies that argue, “it’s irresponsible to have children” because it would increase the carbon footprint.
Fundamentally, anti-life ideologies are hostile “towards the human condition,” Reno said. Having a child, though, is an act of “hope” in the future, “a natural sign of transcendence.”
One institution that is often hostile to family formation is the university system. Elite universities, in many cases, promote an idea of marriage as a rung in the ladder of achievement, not a permanent sacrament. And many of the professors at such universities do not have many children, if any.
Reno cited his sister, who has four children, as an outlier among her colleagues at a large state school. “Not since the Middle Ages has a culture, have the elites of a culture been educated so many childless teachers.”
Signs of Hope
Despite many areas of societal concern in the West, Reno sees signs of hope. “We’re seeing a real springtime…in the Church,” he told Drew, citing Gen Z Mass attendance increases in the UK and France. “Young people come [to Church] for the natural goods of community….but they also come for the supernatural good of having their vision raised above the horizon of the everyday.”
