"This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. This Labor Day, spend time with seven back-to-school stories about how parents took over dorm life, why middle-school friendships still shape who we are, why we can't quite escape dreams of being back at school, and more."
"How Parents Hijacked the College Dorm The spaces were once furnished by scrappy kids. Then the adults entered the room. By Meagan Francis Why Adults Still Dream About School Long after graduation, anxiety in waking life often drags dreamers back into the classroom. ( From 2022) By Kelly Conaboy What Many Parents Miss About the Phones-in-Schools Debate Some focus on reaching their children in an emergency-and overlook the devices' everyday threats."
"By Gail Cornwall Why Back-to-School Season Feels Like the New Year-Even for Adults The arrival of fall and the start of classes seems to many like a beginning, for reasons ranging from biology to nostalgia. ( From 2017) By Emily Richmond The Worst Advice Parents Can Give First-Year Students Today's college students will have ample time to figure out their careers. Before that, encourage them to take risks. ( From 2024) By Ezekiel J. Emanuel Secrets and Lies in the School Cafeteria A tale of missing money, heated lunchroom arguments, and flaxseed pizza crusts ( From 2019) By Sarah Schweitzer The Outsize Influence of Your Middle-School Friends The intensity of feelings generated by friendship in childhood and adolescence is by design. ( From 2020)"
Parents have increasingly influenced college-dorm environments, replacing student-sourced furnishings with adult choices. Many adults retain school-related anxieties that manifest as recurrent classroom dreams long after graduation. Debates over phones in schools often emphasize emergency contact while underestimating daily harms from devices. The transition into fall feels like a renewal for many people due to biological rhythms and nostalgia. Advising first-year students to commit early to a career can be harmful; young adults benefit from encouragement to explore and take risks. School cafeterias contain surprising stories of missing funds, conflicts, and odd menu choices. Middle-school friendships exert outsized influence on emotional development by design.
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