Special Event

Hosted by Zak and Chaya Gelfond

Adam Omary, Research Fellow, Cato Institute

Rikki Schlott, Media Fellow, Cato Institute

In 1975, nearly half of 25 to 34 year olds had moved out, married, had kids, and were working. Today, less than a quarter can say the same. It’s not that young people don’t want to grow up. It’s that growing up has become a lot harder.

Student debt, high inflation, and childcare costs have outpaced everything else in the economy. And even when the hurdles aren’t written into law, they’re wired into a phone—social media has reshaped how young people see themselves, each other, and their own futures. Media Fellow Rikki Schlott outlines this phenomenon in her latest article for Free Society, which just dropped its latest issue (take a look).

Mental illness rates are rising, but does that mean well-being is declining? Is this directly linked to social media and phone usage? In a recent article, Research Fellow Adam Omary considers whether the mental health crisis may be a crisis of overdiagnosis.

Please join Rikki, Adam, and me at PubKey on Wednesday, September 23, at 6:30 p.m. for drinks and a conversation. Don’t hesitate to share this invitation with anyone you think would be interested in joining us.

If you have any questions about the event, please reach out to Serena Home at shome@cato.org.