Loneliness in America: Just the Tip of the Iceberg?

There has long been an epidemic of loneliness in America. But loneliness may be just the tip of the iceberg.

A new brief report from Making Caring Common, a project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, found that loneliness may not only be the cause but the result of a wide range of troubling feelings that often interact in complex ways. Respondents who reported loneliness were far more likely to report anxiety, depression, a lack of meaning and purpose and the sense that their place in the world is not important.

All Reports, Mental HealthJamie F FinnOctober 3, 2024Mental Health

On Edge: Understanding and Preventing Young Adults’ Mental Health Challenges

According to our report, young adults in the U.S. reported twice the rates of anxiety and depression as teens. They identified several drivers of these emotional challenges, including a lack of meaning and purpose.

All Reports, Mental Health, ParentingAli CashinOctober 24, 2023Parenting, Mental Health

Caring for the Caregivers: The Critical Link Between Parent and Teen Mental Health

Teens’ mental health challenges have drawn a huge amount of attention, with researchers and pundits pointing to many possible causes or contributing factors, including social media, sleep deprivation, achievement pressure, and political hostility and polarization. But left largely untold is the story of those who are commonly central in teens’ lives—their parents and caregivers.

All Reports, Mental Health, ParentingAli CashinJuly 11, 2023Parenting, Mental Health

Do Americans Really Care For Each Other? What Unites Us—And What Divides Us

Making Caring Common's report suggests that Americans still fundamentally care for each other despite political differences. But persistent biases may be preventing many Americans from caring for those who are different from them—and may be impeding the path to unity.

All Reports, BridgingAli CashinDecember 8, 2021State of Caring, Bridging

Innovation and Justice: Reinventing Selective Colleges

COVID-19 has been disastrous for colleges across the country. But it has also created extraordinary opportunities to reshape a higher education system that is wildly inequitable and in dire need of reform.

A new white paper from Harvard’s Making Caring Common project makes the case that America’s selective colleges can and should educate far more—and far more diverse—students by doubling or even tripling their class size. Rather than gaining status from how few students they admit, these colleges should tout a far more just and democratic metric—how many students they educate.

College Admission, All ReportsAli CashinApril 27, 2021College Admission, Access and Equity

Loneliness in America: How the Pandemic Has Deepened an Epidemic of Loneliness and What We Can Do About It

The global pandemic has deepened an epidemic of loneliness in America.

A new report from Making Caring Common, a project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, suggests that 36% of all Americans—including 61% of young adults and 51% of mothers with young children—feel “serious loneliness.” Not surprisingly, loneliness appears to have increased substantially since the outbreak of the global pandemic.

All Reports, Mental HealthAli CashinFebruary 9, 2021State of Caring, Mental Health

Bridging America's Political Divide

Our new research brief suggests that political differences remain a substantial barrier in relationships and most people are reluctant to engage in discussions with those they disagree with politically. But most Americans are hopeful that the country can overcome its deep political divisions. Most also are willing to have conversations with those they disagree with if they feel respected. The key creating the conditions for respect across political difference.

All Reports, BridgingAli CashinNovember 17, 2020State of Caring, Bridging

How the Pandemic is Strengthening Fathers' Relationships with Their Children

Our research suggests that almost 70% of fathers across race, class, education level, and political affiliation in the United States feel closer to their children during the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the considerable challenges many families are facing right now, one silver lining appears to be the strengthened relationships between fathers and children.

All Reports, ParentingAli CashinJune 17, 2020Parenting, COVID

Do Parents Really Want School Integration?

Do parents really want school integration? The short answer is yes. Our research suggests that the vast majority of parents across political affiliation, race, class, and geographic region strongly favor schools that are racially and economically integrated. But unfortunately, this doesn’t translate into action. In districts where parents actually have a choice, schools tend to become more segregated, not less.

Bias, All Reports, K-12Ali CashinJanuary 29, 2020Parenting, K-12, Access and Equity

Turning the Tide II: How Parents and High Schools Can Cultivate Ethical Character and Reduce Distress in The College Admissions Process

Our new report calls on parents and high schools to put young people’s character and well-being at the center of a healthier, more sane college admissions process.

Three years in the making, Turning the Tide II: How Parents and High Schools Can Cultivate Ethical Character and Reduce Distress in The College Admissions Process, offers guidelines for high schools and parents in promoting ethical character. It also describes how some high schools and colleges are working to promote greater ethical engagement among high school students, level the playing field for economically disadvantaged students, and reduce excessive achievement pressure. The report also includes a pioneering statement from admissions deans seeking to advance Turning the Tide’s goals.

The Talk: How Adults Can Promote Young People’s Healthy Relationships and Prevent Misogyny and Sexual Harassment

This is the talk we need to have with young people.

Many adults—especially parents—often fret about youth and the "hook-up culture." But research suggests that far fewer young people are "hooking up" than we are commonly led to believe. This focus on the hook-up culture also obscures two much bigger issues that many young people appear to be struggling with: forming and maintaining healthy romantic relationships and dealing with widespread misogyny and sexual harassment. What's more, it appears that parents and other key adults in young people's lives often fail to address these two problems.

Making Caring Common's report The Talk: How Adults Can Promote Young People’s Healthy Relationships and Prevent Misogyny and Sexual Harassment explores these issues and offers insights into how adults can begin to have meaningful and constructive conversations about them with the young people in their lives.

Romantic Relationships, All Reports, Bias, ParentingAli CashinMay 17, 2017Romantic Relationships, Bias

Leaning Out: Teen Girls and Leadership Biases

Are today's teen girls poised to close the gender gap tomorrow?

MCC's new research report, Leaning Out: Teen Girls and Leadership Biases, suggests that teen girls face a powerful barrier to leadership: gender bias. Based primarily on a survey of nearly 20,000 students, our report suggests that many teen boys and teen girls—and some of their parents—have biases against teen girls as leaders. The report also offers recommendations for parents and educators for preventing and reducing gender biases.

Bias, All Reports, ParentingAli CashinJuly 28, 2016Bias, Parenting

Turning the Tide: Inspiring Concern for Others and the Common Good Through College Admissions

It's time to say, "Enough."

Turning the Tide: Inspiring Concern for Others and the Common Good through College Admissions marks the first time in history that a broad coalition of college admissions offices have joined forces to collectively encourage high school students to focus on meaningful ethical and intellectual engagement. The report includes concrete recommendations to reshape the college admissions process and promote greater ethical engagement among aspiring students, reduce excessive achievement pressure, and level the playing field for economically disadvantaged students. It is the first step in a two-year campaign that seeks to substantially reshape the existing college admissions process.

The Children We Mean to Raise: The Real Messages Adults Are Sending About Values

Our youth’s values appear to be awry, and the messages that we’re unintentionally sending as adults may be at the heart of the problem.

According to our recent national survey, a large majority of youth across a wide spectrum of races, cultures, and classes appear to value aspects of personal success—achievement and happiness—over concern for others. At the root of this problem may be a gap between what parents say are their top priorities and the real messages they convey in their behavior day to day.

Making Caring Common regularly publishes reports that examine barriers to caring and ways in which adults can help children overcome those barriers.

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