“It is not, and has never been, the pandemic that has been creating financial insecurities for families and destroying the social lives of our youth. It is not the pandemic that is increasing the rates of depression, drug abuse, and suicidal thoughts among teenagers (and adults, even if not as severely). These are the costs of the policy responses to the pandemic that have, in the name of keeping us safe, told vulnerable young people that they cannot see their friends, show their faces, or engage in any of the social activities that help them develop into mentally healthy adults. It is time for the media to start reporting that it is the lockdowns, the isolationism, and the social-distancing mandates—not the pandemic—that have taken such a toll on teenagers.” Chris Calton, Lockdowns, Not the Pandemic, Created Havoc, mises.org, 6.4.2022