Family estrangement rising among adults in the U.S

Experts suggest that family estrangement between adult children and their parents is rising in the United States, a trend some compare to the surge in divorce rates during the 1970s.

According to reporting by Elizabeth Bernstein for The Wall Street Journal, this phenomenon is being driven by several societal shifts, including changing therapeutic approaches, a broadening definition of trauma, and the influence of social media algorithms. Specifically, TikTok has seen a significant increase in content regarding cutting off or maintaining low contact with parents; monthly posts mentioning these topics rose more than tenfold compared to August 2020, with over 82% of those posts created by women.

Psychologists note that young adults' definitions of harmful parental behavior are evolving, often reclassifying ordinary conflicts as traumatic. Some observers suggest the trend reflects a shift in secular society where individuals no longer feel compelled to maintain relationships with parents who are perceived as abusive or unkind.