A Free-Range Childhood Is Key to Civic Infrastructure
The Institute for Family Studies reports that nearly 60% of U.S. 17‑year‑olds cannot roam unsupervised, and only 1% of nine‑year‑olds have that freedom. Walk‑to‑school rates have fallen from about half of children in 1969 to roughly one in ten by 2017, while smartphone use now exceeds 60% by age eleven. The article argues that this loss of free‑range childhood erodes the low‑stakes civic habits—judgment, cooperation, initiative—essential for a functioning republic. Restoring safe, autonomous spaces could rebuild those habits and strengthen future self‑government.
IFS Files Amicus Brief in Support of Texas App Store Safety Law
The Institute for Family Studies (IFS) submitted an amicus brief defending Texas’s App Store Accountability Act (SB 2420) after a district court deemed the law unconstitutional. The brief, filed as the Fifth Circuit reviews the state’s appeal, argues the measure protects...
Simulated Soulmates: How Common Are AI Companions?
A new study by BYU's Wheatley Institute and the Institute for Family Studies surveyed over 2,000 U.S. young adults in committed relationships and found that 15% regularly interact with AI romantic companions, dubbed “secret soulmates.” Between 20% and 30% have...
Friday Five 610
Friday Five 610 aggregates five recent research studies spanning family dynamics and social trends. The pieces reveal that mothers seek heartfelt experiences for Mother’s Day, infant researchers uncover rhythmic cues vital for development, and immigrant marriage advantages are eroding with assimilation....
This Mother's Day, Ditch the Mom Guilt. Embrace the Joy
The article tackles the pervasive “mom guilt” narrative, citing polls that show 78%‑94% of mothers feel guilty about time spent with their children. It argues that media amplification of this guilt skews perception, while research from the Institute for Family...
Confessions of a Middle-Aged Mother
Amy Julia Becker reflects on how moving for her husband’s head‑of‑school role halted her writing career and sparked a deep sense of regret. She describes the tension between motherhood duties and personal ambition, noting that her creative output dwindled as...
Moms, Forget Work-Life Balance! Seek Family Flourishing Instead
Nadya Williams argues that mothers should abandon the elusive work‑life balance ideal and instead aim for family flourishing. Drawing on her own transition from a tenured professor to a freelance writer and MFA director, she shows how pandemic‑induced career changes...
What 'The Drama' Gets Right—And Wrong—About Gen Z and Marriage
A24’s new dark romantic comedy *The Drama* uses horror‑style storytelling to explore the anxieties surrounding modern dating and marriage among Gen Z. The plot follows engaged couple Charlie and Emma, whose relationship is shaken when Emma’s past as an “almost” school...
Friday Five 608
The latest Friday Five roundup highlights a Vanderbilt study that links chronic loneliness to a heightened risk of suicide, underscoring growing mental‑health concerns. The Heritage Foundation is hosting a virtual‑in‑person event titled “Saving America by Saving the Family,” focusing on...
Four ‘C’heers for the TRUMP AMERICA AI Act
The White House’s March AI priorities reaffirm President Trump’s “four Cs”—children, creators, conservatives, and communities—and task Congress with codifying them. Senator Marsha Blackburn’s draft TRUMP AMERICA AI Act bundles 17 titles that pull from bipartisan bills such as the Kids’...
IFS Policy Brief Explores the Debate Over AI and Personhood
The Institute for Family Studies policy brief argues that the growing push to grant legal personhood to artificial intelligence is rooted in analogies to corporate and animal‑rights law. It warns that extending personhood could insulate AI firms from liability, amplify...
Friday Five 607
The latest Friday Five roundup highlights five distinct stories shaping family dynamics and social trends. Brookings Institution will host a virtual event on April 27 discussing how AI reshapes child‑raising. Military Times reports a continued rise in suicide rates among...
Friday Five 606
The latest Friday Five roundup highlights a growing body of research linking ubiquitous smartphone use to declining fertility rates, while emphasizing the importance of positive male role models for boys. It also reports that a coalition of states is pushing...
Moms Are Speaking. Are We Really Listening?
The article argues that modern mothers are consistently devalued by cultural narratives that prioritize career success over caregiving. Personal anecdotes illustrate how professional women feel “less than” after having children, while stay‑at‑home moms are dismissed as non‑contributors. It frames this...
New IFS Report on State AI Laws
In March 2026 the White House unveiled an AI policy framework that seeks broad federal preemption of state regulations, branding the existing landscape as a dangerous "patchwork" of roughly 1,200 bills. The Institute for Freedom and Society (IFS) report counters...