I mostly hate the way they consider BS flung with confidence as somehow compelling. But sadly, when you read the comments, far too many do.

Depressing and illogical! Unhappiness in young people is caused by many different factors none of which can be linked to a decline in so called “Christian Values” especially not American ones, as this is a Western problem, not merely confined to the USA, as he already referenced by mentioning the appointment of a Minister for Loneliness.in the U.K. Loneliness is a terrible thing and a product of modern society, especially in countries of the developed west where young people and the very old live lives outside of the nuclear family unit. In other, less developed cultures, the extended family unit still exists consequently loneliness is less prevalent.

We encourage independence in our young people and expect them to flee the nest and take on a mortgage in order to get on the housing ladder as soon as they can, this was very much part of the driver for the price inlflation in the housing market in the latter part of last century which culminated in the disastrous crash in that market in 2008. There is now a shortage of affordable housing, due in no small measure to a tightening of regulations on lending, and this has led to a generation of young people who are struggling to buy a home of their own.

There are many other dissatisfactions which young people feel which are purely consequences of living in a fast moving technological age. The internet and constantly being bombarded with false images of perfection (the selfie syndrome), fake news, online scamming and bullying, an awareness that their parents generation were better off financially, the environmental concerns which they believe politicians are ignoring, It is precisely because they are better educated that they realise that these things are happening, but they seem powerless to influence them, that causes their discontent and unhappiness.

As usual the religious right will ignore all other factors and try to blame a turning away from religion and conservative values for any societal ills, but it’s really more about an obsession that some older Americans have of American exceptionalism than anything else, as this viewpoint held by Mr Prager is very much US centred, in the UK I can’t think of anyone who would either possit or subscribe to his views.

Conservatism, it seems, is based on clinging to some comfortable image of a past, that probably, in reality, never existed, at least in the way we think we remember it. I don't think we can ever go back, even to the past that did exist, let alone our idealized version.

Going forward is always harder, and scarier, and a lot more complicated. Going forward is a creative act. It requires a more realistic understanding of the past, and an imagination unfettered by "isms".

John Vervaeke's attempt at answering this same question is an example [agnostic.com] of what that creative process might look like. Other attempts might come up with results very different from Vervaeke's, but no realistic and creative attempt will look like that comfortable, but imaginary, past that Dennis Prager leans on.

He needs to get some sun.