I recently came across a fascinating study by the Pew Research Center which showed that roughly one in three Americans reported having a tattoo in 2023. More than one in five had multiple. But the real story isn’t how many tattoos we’re getting, but who is getting them. In the write-up, Pew helpfully breaks down the results by various demographic groups…

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The book that I’ve spent the last year and a half researching and writing is finally off to production. There are still plenty of edits to make, but most of the work is done. Generation Uncoupled is going to be released before the midterm elections this fall, and I cannot wait to talk about it and share more in the coming months.

Preorder Generation Uncoupled

Without going into too m…

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In the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, I received a steady stream of email pitches featuring dating-related research. They included research on the states with the highest rates of infidelity (sorry Colorado!), the most desired body types on OnlyFans, and the share of Americans who require consent before receiving a hug (one in three, apparently). …

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There is a growing consensus that young adults have bucked recent trends towards greater acceptance of LGBTQ people and have become less tolerant than previous generations. Young men have become notably less supportive of gay rights, a fact regularly attributed either to their growing religiosity (wrong) or their growing conservatism (also wrong).

A rece…

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About a year ago, I was at the University of Virginia conducting interviews for my book. I had a lot of interesting conversations with students about dating, politics, and their goals for the future. But one interview in particular stuck out. When I talked to Max, a senior preparing to graduate, he casually expressed that while his employment prospects …

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Merry Christmas! It’s hard to believe that 2025 is coming to a close. It was a taxing but rewarding year. I’ve mostly finished work on my book, Generation Uncoupled, which is tentatively scheduled for release in fall 2026. Although book research and writing have taken up much of my energy this year, we managed to publish three major survey reports and l…

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I write a lot about dating. So do lots of other people. Recently, a series of articles have been published that have hit on a not entirely novel thesis: dating men is a uniquely terrible experience for many women. These articles introduced new terms, “heterofatalism” or “heteropessimism,” to capture the unenviable experience of being a woman attracted t…

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Happy Thanksgiving! If you enjoy this newsletter, please share it with any friends or family members who you believe would value it.

Part of what I like about writing Storylines every other week is that I don’t feel pressure to have an immediate response to a viral poll result or breaking news event. A bimonthly publishing schedule means I’ll almost neve…

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Today is my 100^th newsletter! As I wrap up work on my book, I’ll continue to share new insights, interviews, and research on America’s gender conflict. I’ll also be embarking on new major projects in 2026, including research on AI, friendship, and romantic relationships. And a healthy dose of analysis and research on religion as well!

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The state of marriage seems pretty good these days. The divorce rate is falling, and polls consistently find that married Americans are overwhelmingly satisfied with their relationships. A poll we conducted earlier this year found that roughly eight in ten said they were completely or very satisfied with their marriages. Only five percent report being d…

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Americans are having fewer children. A new government report found that the birth rate in the United States hit an all-time low in 2024. Whether this constitutes a crisis may depend on what you believe is causing it. Is it the inevitable result of expanding economic opportunities for women? Improved access to and education about birth control? Or is it …

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After a long summer hiatus, American Storylines is back. I’ve finished a draft manuscript of my book, Uncoupled, and will continue editing and refining it throughout the fall. For those who are interested, the book is scheduled for release in fall 2026. I’ll provide regular updates as things progress.

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American Storylines is taking a summer break. I know it’s only May, but at least in Washington D.C., it already feels like summer—we’re getting 80+ degree days regularly, and random rainstorms that surprise even those who aggressively monitor doppler radar.

It was a difficult decision to make. I published my first Substack newsletter on Sept. 30, 2021, t…

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Introduction from Daniel Cox:

I’m excited to have Rachel Janfaza guest post for American Storylines. Janfaza is a writer and author of The Up and Up, a fantastic newsletter that is a must-read for anyone interested in better understanding Gen Z. Her interviews with young adults continually challenge me to update my thinking about this dynamic and influen…

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Ask the average teenager how they spend their time on social media, and you’ll probably get an annoyed expression and a multiplicity of answers. But there is one pattern that has become more apparent. Increasingly, Americans are not using social media to connect with their friends.

In 2024, we asked social media users how often they interact with their f…

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This past weekend I participated in a panel discussion focused on Generation Z, the gender divide, and the political ramifications of the growing divergence between young men and women. At one point, the moderator asked a question I had never considered: “Is the gender divide less evident among young Christians?” On its face, the question seems very rea…

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Since 2012, Gallup has tracked the size of America’s LGBTQ population. For the first few years, there was not much news to report. The percentage of Americans who identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer was relatively low and inching up slowly year over year. Recently, the pace has sped up. Gallup’s newest report recorded the single …

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When it comes to the state of romance and relationships, recent news has been somewhat disheartening. A recent poll we conducted on this topic revealed a considerable amount of dating pessimism. Perhaps even more concerning was how common young people believe infidelity has become.

Young women are especially gloomy. Nearly six in ten young women (57 perc…

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One of the benefits of writing a book about relationships, dating and gender dynamics is that lots of people have opinions about these topics and share them freely. I recently received an email from a woman in her 40s who has given up on dating and men.

She gave me permission to share her email, although I will not use her actual name. “Cathy” is a 40-ye…

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