May 2025

More Americans are camping alone than ever before—seeking solitude, self-reliance, and a much-needed reset in an increasingly chaotic and disconnected world.

Once-deep childhood male friendships have quietly faded into silence, casualties of adulthood, emotional reticence, and the unspoken rules that keep men from truly connecting.

More than half of U.S. states now have laws restricting student cellphone use in schools due to concerns about mental health, learning, and safety.

Boys’ educational achievement, mental health and transitions to adulthood indicate that many are not thriving.

Only 34% of Americans believe most people can be trusted, a viewpoint shaped by personal experiences, social and economic inequality, and political polarization.

While most Americans say they’re willing to help their neighbors, far fewer believe their neighbors would do the same for them.

Deep, in-person relationships are essential to happiness and meaning, but young people today struggle to build them amid declining institutions and rising digital isolation.

Tariffs and industrial policy can’t solve America’s declining workforce participation, which stems from deep-seated government-imposed barriers that limit mobility, adaptability, and economic opportunity.

Young people around the world are increasingly unhappy, a crisis rooted not in material lack, but in a profound loss of connection, purpose, and meaning.