| Rachel Cohen is a Vox policy correspondent focusing on US social policy, covering abortion, child care and the American safety net, the nation's housing supply shortage, and more. |
|
|
| Rachel Cohen is Vox policy correspondent focusing on US social policy, covering abortion, child care and the American safety net, the nation's housing supply shortage and more. |
|
|
Did millennials' focus on "systemic change" backfire? |
Good morning! I'm Rachel Cohen, a policy correspondent at Vox. I do a lot of work covering issues like abortion rights, housing, and homelessness. But I also spend time thinking about deeper cultural shifts affecting millennials' connections to community and each other. I spent much of 2023, for example, writing about all the negative, bleak media and pop cultural narratives about motherhood, and the toll they have taken on women of my generation.
Today at Vox, I'm taking a closer look at a phenomenon that I'd started to notice after a reader reached out to ask what I thought they could do about homelessness. They were unsure what they could really do, as just one person, to enact meaningful change in the world.
It isn't just them. A recent Harvard Institute of Politics poll surveying Americans ages 18-29 found that young people are far more fearful than hopeful about the future: They worry about the moral direction of the country, don't think their vote will make a real difference, and don't volunteer for community service.
Other research suggests that Gen Z and millennials volunteer at lower rates than adults born in earlier generations, despite overwhelming data that volunteering and donating boosts self-esteem, physical health, and lifespan.
It could actually make people happier.
So I wondered: What has made so many of us turn away from donating to charity, or volunteering with nonprofits — taking individual actions to better the world?
And were these attitudes contributing to the American loneliness crisis? To answer these questions, I started reading widely and interviewing experts on social activism and philanthropy. I ultimately traced this collective turn from individual action back to major shifts in the political and economic landscape of the 2010s. Here's some of what I learned: |
Climate and inequality battles changed our politics |
It was the era of Occupy Wall Street and Bernie Sanders's 2016 presidential campaign, and we all grew more fluent in critiques of billionaires and plutocracy. Activism around the climate crisis in particular emphasized the limits of personal behavioral change, and new arguments gained prominence that volunteering and charity were, at best, unproductive; at worst, they were harmful distractions from the change we really need. |
Nicolas Maeterlinck/AFP via Getty |
The idea of a "nonprofit industrial complex" emerged |
Critiques against nonprofits also sharpened. Activists and intellectuals argued more forcefully that nonprofits were often complacent and even disincentivized to solve real problems, since doing so could threaten their own funding streams. The Effective Altruist movement argued that most charities were wasteful and ineffective, so giving money to such organizations began to seem futile. |
We over-indexed on the idea of "collective action" |
There was also this sense that real, serious social change would come only from mass protest and collective pressure on governments and corporations. We saw such protests in the 2010s against poverty, police brutality, and rising global temperatures. This growing emphasis on collective action felt clarifying, righteous, and long overdue. It motivated us to demand more from those in power. But in retrospect, it also helped fuel despair and cynicism, as it promised a better world only if near-impossible political and policy changes were made, and fast. I think what really struck me was that despite all the attention on collective action, many millennials and Gen Z young people actually grew more isolated and pessimistic about social change. |
Can we reverse the trend? |
Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images |
To be clear, young Americans' turn away from volunteerism isn't entirely about our own apathy or anxiety. One expert I spoke with noted that young people today are doing far more than previous generations to make ends meet, including holding multiple jobs. For us, "there are fewer discretionary hours available in a day," he told me.
Since finishing the reporting, I've been rethinking my own views on individual action. I now see volunteering and philanthropy as more than just acts of service for, or donations to, nonprofits. It can actually be much broader — and include giving time and money to your family, your neighborhood, your country, or anyone around the world. Philanthropy could be funding malaria nets for strangers, or it could be watching your friend's daughter or caring for an aging parent, even sending remittances to relatives abroad. "When neighbors on a block shoot a message to your group text asking if someone can keep an eye on your kid, or bring over a meal, these things aren't considered volunteering," one expert told me. "But do you get paid for it? Do you get a sense of benefit by helping?"
I believe we do. Read my full essay here, and I'd love to hear your thoughts. You can email me at rachel.cohen@vox.com. |
|
|
| Noel closes out her week in Chicago with a recap of Kamala Harris's speech. Political strategist Mike Podhorzer looks ahead. |
|
|
- When scientific lies are lethal: Research fraud has gotten a lot of attention lately, but is it a crime? What about when the fraud literally results in death? A debate is percolating around whether prosecution is the answer, since there are currently almost no consequences for perpetrators.
- Speaking of Trump: Kamala Harris's DNC speech broke his brain. The Democratic nominee shared her vision of the future, and cut down the former president at the same time. What happened next was a vintage Trump meltdown.
- What should I know about the new Covid shots? The FDA has approved an updated version of the Covid shot that should roll out to doctors' offices and pharmacies over the next couple of weeks. We've got the preliminary info for you.
- Cocaine, UFC, and politics. Yes, we're explaining Donald Trump's podcast bro tour, which included a conversation with comedian Theo Von, who interviewed Bernie Sanders just the week before. These appearances give a window into a certain kind of American male voter politicians on both sides of the aisle are trying to court.
|
- Gun laws in question: A Trump judge in Kansas ruled that the Second Amendment invalidates criminal charges against a defendant charged with illegally possessing a machine gun. This very obviously wrong decision is the result of a 2022 Supreme Court decision that cast a cloud of uncertainty over nearly all US gun laws — and should be overturned.
- The cost of cheaper drugs: No, lower prices set by the government won't spell the end of miracle medications. There's not an either/or when it comes to less costly treatment or new cures — in fact, it's a false choice.
|
Can plastic waste become food? Scientists have been studying the use of plastic-eating bacteria to cut down on waste and pollution for years. But now DARPA — the government research and development agency that played a central role in the creation of the internet, among other technological breakthroughs — is seeing if these microbes can turn plastic into food for humans. [Undark] Paralympics prep: The Paralympic Games start this week in Paris. Read all about Raleigh Crossley, whose neurological impairments caused by a brain tumor and two car crashes aren't always obvious, making her the target of cheating allegations. [NYT] |
Michael Reaves/Getty Images |
|
|
"Wouldn't that mean that everything in the universe begins and ends with music?"
|
As Gray Area host Sean Illing explains, "String theory, the multiverse, Quantum mechanics: all of these ideas come from scientists who are trying to understand the origins of the universe and the nature of reality." And maybe, just maybe, those origins are sound waves. Sean talked to theoretical physicist and jazz musician Stephon Alexander about how music could be the answer to our biggest questions in this week's episode. |
Are you enjoying the Today, Explained newsletter? Forward it to a friend; they can sign up for it right here.
Do you love a good deal? Sign up for the Strategist Sales Alert for daily emails to keep track of the best sales, as chosen by their deals-obsessed editors.
And as always, we want to know what you think. Specifically: If there is a topic you want us to explain or a story you're curious to learn more about, let us know by filling out this form or just replying to this email.
Today's edition was produced and edited by senior editor Lavanya Ramanathan, with contributions from editorial director Julia Rubin. We'll see you tomorrow! |
|
|
Become a Vox Member Support our journalism — become a Vox Member and you'll get exclusive access to the newsroom with members-only perks including newsletters, bonus podcasts and videos, and more. |
| |
|
This email was sent to salenamartine360.news1@blogger.com. Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe. If you value Vox's unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring contribution. View our Privacy Notice and our Terms of Service. Vox Media, 1701 Rhode Island. NW, Washington, DC 20036.
Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. |
|
|
|
