This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new data showing that our nation’s young girls are in a state of absolute emotional and mental crisis. According to the CDC, 57% of high school girls said they were depressed in 2021, compared with 36% in 2011; 30% said they had considered suicide, compared with 19% in 2011. The numbers had also increased markedly for high school boys: 29% of high school boys reported depressive symptoms, up from 21% in 2011; 14% of high school boys had considered suicide, up from 13% a decade before.
Naturally, our nation’s pseudoscientific experts blame societal intolerance and lack of sexual sensitivity. Never mind the fact that more kids than ever are declaring themselves members of nonexistent identity groups (Demisexual! Gender nonbinary!), mistakenly self-diagnosing with Tourette’s syndrome or gender dysphoria, and claiming victimhood at the hands of a cruel society – a society that rewards and cheers all such claims. Never mind that we’ve now undergone a gender revolution in which we’ve declared biological sex itself passe, treated heterosexual norms as taboo and misogynistic and attempted to wipe away – along with actual sexual predation – much normal behavior in the name of #MeToo.
No, says the CDC, the problem – as always – is with society’s demands. As The Wall Street Journal reports, the CDC recommends “teaching kids about sexual consent, managing emotions, and asking for what they need”; furthermore, “Schools should encourage gender and sexuality alliances, provide safe spaces and people for LGBTQ+ students to go to for support, and ensure enforcement of antiharassment policies.”
Yes, the answer to five decades of social Leftism resulting in two generations unmoored from mental health is…more social Leftism!
Or, alternatively, any society that attempts to destroy all rules, roles and intermediate institutions laden with traditional values will end up abandoning its children – all in the name of tolerance and diversity. We have robbed young men of a sense of meaning: we’ve told them that they need not be providers, protectors or defenders, and that even aspiring to do so makes them bigoted remnants of the past. Instead, young men are told that they ought to relegate themselves to the role of “male feminists,” condemning their own “toxic masculinity” while shying away from the commitments that turn boys into men.
We have robbed young women of any sense of place, time or purpose: we’ve told them that they need not seek out a husband, aspire to bear and rear children or make preparations to build a home. Instead, we’ve told them that they can run from their own biology, declaring themselves boys rather than girls, delaying childbearing indefinitely, pursuing the things that are supposedly truly important: sexual license, more work hours, sipping wine at brunch with single friends.
We have done all of this because children do not lie at the top of our civilizational hierarchy: the interests of adults do. Increasingly, adults in the West see children as either a burden and thus avoid having them, or as validators of their own sense of subjective self-identity, requiring indoctrination into more liberal forms of social organization.
And now children are paying the price.
The social Left has been in control of virtually all levers of culture and policy for decades. Now they demand more control in order to alleviate the consequences of the chaos they have created. The answer, of course, is precisely the opposite: the reinvigoration of traditional sources of wisdom and values, the re-inculcation of morality and obligation. If our society does not quickly reverse field, the consequences for our young people will be utterly disastrous.
Ben Shapiro, 38, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author; his latest book is The Authoritarian Moment: How The Left Weaponized America’s Institutions Against Dissent.
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An interesting article as far as it goes. I would hope most Americans have already woken up to the left’s agenda at this point. If not, and any of this information is viewed as either new or some sort of revelation to the reader, then the question that begs to be asked is “In what cave have you been living in for the last 4 or 5 decades?”. Willful ignorance is not an asset, when the nation is under assault from within.
In the last paragraph, the author states the following: “The social Left has been in control of virtually all levers of culture and policy for decades. Now they demand more control in order to alleviate the consequences of the chaos they have created.” This is where I differ with the author. The left does NOT seek greater control in order to alleviate the consequences of what they have created. They simply seek greater control in order to silence the opposition to what they have done and what they plan to continue doing. All in order to grant themselves an unobstructed playing field to continue their work unimpeded.
Excellent article.
With the CDC encouraging teachers to Indoctrinate our children it is no surprise.
With Illegal and Unconstitutional Lockdowns depriving our children an education for political purposes.
It’s no wonder they have paid dearly for it with their mental health.
Even the childish comments of the younger people they make on here proves the point of them losing their minds.
Will the younger generations ever realize that not only that they are being used for political purposes but that they are and will pay dearly for it? Especially, as they get older.
Cause one day they will be old too.
Then what will be their attitude when their children make fun of them?
It’s long overdue to realize what’s been happening. Everyone should read this article. CDC .. National Teachers Union and Biden’s Administration should be ashamed of themselves fir the damage they have done.
In the last paragraph the mention of the reinvigoration of traditional sources of wisdom and values and the re-inculcation of morality and obligation as answers to the problems
described makes a great deal of good sense. The various influences on the youth of the nation, including the school systems , government agencies, and non – government organizations , need to be restructured — the education system , needs new teachers who have Conservative values , a respect for American patriotic ideals, and a belief in God. It could help improve things if parents, the teachers and the students were able to have periodic meetings to discuss what is going on with the education system, size up the situation, make suggestions on how to make improvements. Communication will be of great importance. As for the government agencies and non – government organizations, the same basic strategy for improving the education system would apply, with minor adjustments depending on what agency, what organization. Again, the respect for Conservative values, respect for American patriotic ideals and a belief in the will of God will make for a solid foundation the youth of the nation can have for a source of strength , and courage , inspiration , and wisdom . It ain’t easy being young, At 72 I remember very well how important it was to have communication with older people during the high school years who were sincere, honest and truly interested in providing good advice , it was always appreciated. It helped to provide the knowledge needed to navigate through stormy seas and get to the various destinations that needed to be reached.
Having a clean sense of humor is important . And understanding the value of speaking respectfully and intelligently, understanding that how we speak reflects how we think is very important. A realization that there is no place for crude, vulgar, obscene words or expressions in a vocabulary that is
going to be part of building good character . Victory for those of us who care about the principles of honor, honesty, integrity and helping the youth of the nation proceed on the right course in life.
Adherence to the 10 Commandments would changes those stats.
The left fanatics are so intolerant of common sense, traditional views that many young people are very conflicted about what they should do to lead harmonious lives of peace and goodness. Many young people, who need help in dealing with life’s complexities, are being mentally and emotionally torn to shreds by the revolutionary Marxist forces that are destroying our traditional American values. It’s no wonder, that many young people are floundering, conflicted, and miserable. Going through the teens and early twenties is commonly a tough psychological journey; however, the far left zealots are making it almost impossible for young people to feel good about themselves and our Constitutional Republic.
The young people today are such a bunch of weak sheep if we ever get attacked we are going to lose. They can’t even get out of bed and go to work in the morning.
And Ben makes money all they way to the bank whining about it.
Unfortunately I believe our children have been indoctrinated in such large numbers the United States is on its way out…just look around at what is transpiring…everyone from the WH down can’t decide what a woman is and encourages “chest feeding” for men…every teacher is being taught to push sexual garbage…every school board is loaded with left wing nut jobs wanting to eliminate real gender and replace it with fake genders…lefties want the ability to kill babies even after delivery like they are some unwanted sack of potatoes…every white child is told they are racist and are no good and their white parents are no good…Christianity and Judaism are forbidden to be discussed but Satanic or self worship is acceptable…add all this up and it paints a very very dark picture for our kids…any wonder they are depressed…
this is what happens when you give your mind over to socialism. you have no mind.
We need to eliminate the Department of Education and return control of funds to the states which should help end the indoctrination programs which are required for states and school boards to receive funds. The Constitution leaves education and many other programs/decisions to the States. Somehow along the road these responsibilities have been passed to the Feds where the Constitution clearly does not give jurisdiction to. The school boards need to start working with the parents, get rid of CRT, get rid of the LBGTQ and sexual deviant push, bring back the basic education of math, science, English, and true history. There has to be a mandatory Civic course and students should not graduate if they can not read or write and if they cannot do basic math without a calculator. I can understand why kids are depressed and even suicidal just by looking what the Far Left is pushing on them, especially when the issues are opposite what the learn at hope…I remember my now adult grandchildren not wanting to go to school on the days that there were special days that encouraged kids to “come out”. We also have to stop the push to medically change gender especially when children do not have fully developed minds until around 25 and so many are now starting to regret what they have allowed to be done to them.
Easiest way to stop this, shut down all social media and no cell phones until your 18th birthday.
If I’m not mistaken, Hitler used the same tactic manipulating young minds in effort to take control. I agree with the post below: Abolish the Department of Education. It has been used to push political agenda on our young and to institute this “common core” garbage. Things like modification of history books has to stop. Unfortunately the take over has happen so slow and subtle, the average American does not see it happening. I love my country and want it back, these Socialist/Communist (Democrat) folks need to be taken out of power.
We don’t have a stable government from the so called President on down with the Senate, House, some of the Supreme Court FBI, Secretary’s of anything, etc., Al this WOKE stuff is making mush of our young people’s minds. When this began several decades, we thought it was funny with all the “generations”, but now it has come to a bunch of wimps trying to act like adults, when the adults can’t or don’t want to act like adults. The WOKE generation is here now and they don’t know or care about anything but participating and changing everything. We can start by voting the scoundrels out of office.
Wow! I have heard of Ben Shapiro but had assumed he must be at least intelligent. This article is so poorly written , with no logical progression of the randomly spewed statements. There are no actual facts or logical defenses of his thinking. Reading it feels like being yelled at by an insane person. Anyone could debate these ideas but I get the sense np one wants to honestly discuss ideas here.
This is stupid. What a clickbait title. The left is the only path forward for young people since the right has clearly sold them down the river. Maybe a think tank setup to fool seniors. Read google news I guess. Idk.