More young people are being transparent about choosing to estrange themselves from family members they consider toxic. Many posts on social media break down why they chose this path to separation — a process known as going "no contact."

What does it mean to go 'no contact'?
Family estrangement is still considered "somewhat taboo," said The New Yorker. But in recent years, "advocates for the estranged have begun a concerted effort to normalize it." They believe eliminating the stigma would allow more people to "get out of unhealthy family relationships without shame." Some psychologists point to "anecdotal evidence that an increasing number of young people are cutting out their parents," while others think we are "simply becoming more transparent about it."

In a survey conducted by family sociologist Karl Pillemer in 2019, Pillemer found 27% of Americans were estranged from a relative. Another study found that, on average, people first became estranged from family members in their 20s.

New organizations have popped up to provide resources for people who have cut ties with family members. Society promotes the message that it's "good for people to have a family at all costs" when it could be healthier for people to "find a new sense of family with friends or peer groups," Becca Bland, the founder of nonprofit estrangement group Stand Alone, said to The New Yorker.

What is driving the rise?
Estrangement has become more common due to the "changing notions of what constitutes harmful, abusive, traumatizing or neglectful behavior," said Joshua Coleman, a clinical psychologist and the author of "Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties and How to Heal the Conflict." The definition of trauma has expanded in recent decades to include experiences once considered harmless.

Some critics portray family breakups as a "scourge inflicted by hyperindividualistic, narcissistic millennials," Emi Nietfeld said at Slate. The rising trend among young people is "evidence of the breakdown of society," said David Brooks at The New York Times. But these "sensationalist critiques ignore the perspective of the millions of people like me who are very happily distant," said Nietfeld.

An architectural firm is preparing to honor slain journalists across the world with a memorial that will be a first-of-its-kind monument in the U.S. On September 16, the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation (FJMF) unveiled its first design plans for the Fallen Journalists Memorial, to be located in a prominent spot on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

What will it look like?
The memorial will sit with the U.S. Capitol building as its backdrop and will consist of a "massive structure composed of numerous separate glass elements," said Washingtonian magazine. The glass pieces are "meant to be haphazard, indicating disconnected data points that come together to form a story," while the pieces themselves are "each handcrafted in a way to represent unique, personal stories of reporters."

The memorial has "no front or back; people will be able to enter from multiple entry points," said Washingtonian. A soft light will emanate from the memorial, even after dark, which "signifies the watchdog role journalists play in a democracy," lead architect John Ronan said to Washingtonian.

What will it represent?
The unique tribute will "celebrate press freedom and honor the journalists who have been slain while doing their jobs," said The Washington Post. The FJMF was founded in 2019, a year after a gunman killed five people and injured two others at the newsroom of the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland. 

For people who are not able to visit the memorial in person, those looking for a "complete list of slain journalists will be able to find that information on an accompanying website," FJMF President Barbara Cochran said to the Post. The memorial will be a "journey of discovery that unfolds slowly, space by space, like a story that casts the visitor in the role of investigative journalist," said Ronan in a press release. It will be an "inspiring place of remembrance that celebrates the First Amendment freedoms upon which democracy is built and honors those who have sacrificed their lives in pursuit of the truth."