US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and his son near Miami, Florida, on July 16, 2024. Rebecca Blackwell/AP/SIPA
This week I would like to talk about a discussion that interests me. On August 28, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a warning titled “Parents under pressure.” In the 30-page report, federal officials argue that while raising children has always been a challenge, new factors are adding to the stress parents feel.
He cited, among other things, “parental concerns about the complexities of social media management, the youth mental health crisis, and the epidemic of loneliness that disproportionately affects young people and parents,” and the “intensifying culture of comparison.” To support his claim, Murthy cited a 2023 study by the American Psychological Association that revealed some surprising data. Thirty-three percent of parents reported experiencing high levels of stress in the past month, compared with 20% of other adults. Additionally, 48% say that most of the time, stress completely overwhelms them, leaving them feeling numb and empty (42%) or unable to function properly (41%).
There is no equivalent position in France to Murthy’s position as Surgeon General. Historically, these high-ranking federal officials have enjoyed relative freedom of speech, even if their statements have rarely led to political action. This allows them to make bold statements. In the past, military surgeon generals have condemned the harmful effects of tobacco (1964), called for AIDS education in elementary schools (1986), promoted masturbation education, debated drug legalization, and passionately defended abortion. (It was Joycelyn Elders in 1994 — well, you know, Bill Clinton eventually asked her to resign).
Lack of manpower, lack of space
Meanwhile, Mr Murthy has already warned of the “loneliness epidemic” his country will face in April 2023, saying it will not only affect the scourge of gun violence but also the rest of the world. Cigarettes, AIDS, depression, guns, and now…my parents. Wow, what a sequence!
I was a little shocked. Of course, our two countries are very different. There is no federal maternity leave in the United States and virtually no child care assistance. Childcare costs have increased 26% over the past decade, and three-quarters of American households struggle to find suitable childcare.
In France, costs are more reasonable and more subsidies are provided, but costs are also rising. However, the collapse of the early childhood sector that is happening before our eyes is causing stress for French parents. There is a growing shortage of qualified childcare workers and available space, not to mention damning revelations of abuse in private daycare centers. This autumn, Victor Castanet will publish the research book Les Ogres (‘The Ogres’, Flammarion, 416 pages, €22.90), the third book to be published in this issue. This book is on my bedside table, but I confess that it’s not the night reading that calms me down. Instead, I’m watching This Is U on Prime Video.
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