It's back to school season and news outlets are returning to covering the important and urgent question of student mental health. But it's not just students who are grappling with loneliness and mental illness — these broad negative health trends and declines in social engagement have been a source of concern for people of all ages. At Vox over the last 10 months, I've been investigating a less-discussed factor that I believe is driving some of the nation's unhappiness.
In my new essay, I look at the cultural turn amongst millennials and those younger against the very idea of individual action, and how much each of us can make a difference on our own. These shifts away from activities like volunteering and charity began from a well-intentioned place — young people like me were taught to think that an exclusive focus on systematic change was necessary to yield real change — but 15 years in, I think it's time for us to start admitting and grappling with that mistake. My piece should be of interest to anyone who is wrestling with their own questions of what it means to be involved in community, to have agency, and to make a difference.
—Rachel M. Cohen, policy correspondent
