For half a century, Americans have been told that science and technology are the future. We invested in the so-called “hard sciences,” while casting the “soft sciences” as indulgent and unprofitable. Then, Covid hit. In higher education, where faith in STEM was strong and where elite universities leaned into investing in high-profit STEM fields, schools holding in-person semesters enforced strict public health measures, but they underestimated social forces: interpersonal needs especially acute in late adolescence, like friendship, sex, and love. In response to excessive bureaucracy and uneven enforcement, many students lost faith in institutions as they split into Covid-cautious and Covid-incautious factions, deepening racial, class, and geographic divides. Fraternities (already coddled by administrators) thrived while Black residents of New Orleans bore the costs of superspreader student events. In Exposed, renowned sociologist Lisa Wade argues that a healthier response was possible, offering insights for building social solidarity, redefining freedom, and nurturing a more humane society.
