The mental health of young adults is negatively impacted by political polarization.

Creating social support is a protective factor to stress from political polarization.

Having someone to talk creates a sense of belonging.

Young adults struggling with mental health need safe spaces to talk about polarization.

We all know the three things you don’t talk about around the dinner table: money, religion, and politics. But do these once-sacred dinner-party rules still apply to Gen Z?

Religion isn’t the potentially hot-button issue it once was, with 28% of Americans identifying as religiously unaffiliated, and only 3 in 10 reporting they attend religious services regularly. Studies also show Gen Z and millennials are twice as likely as their Gen X and Baby Boomers counterparts to talk about money.

If you’re beginning to notice a trend in young people’s willingness to discuss contentious topics, it comes to a full stop when we talk—or rather don’t talk—about politics.

An online survey conducted by University of South Florida student intern Imani Hartfield at my organization, Collectively, found that the cultural heirloom of not talking politics has been passed down to yet another generation. 63% of the Gen Z respondents reported that politics had made relationships in their lives more tense. Yet, unlike in the pre-screen days, this generation feels that there is no escape from politics. With political content chasing young adults around social media, it’s no wonder their mental health has taken a hit.

Perception Versus Reality

It feels like no one can agree on anything nowadays. But is it possible that this is truly more of a feeling than an actuality? Pew Research found that 80% of adults think that Americans disagree not only on policy but also on basic facts. With the majority of Americans........

© Psychology Today