Culture

illustration of two hands holding a copy of the book The Let Them Theory
Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Stefanie Keenan / Getty.

Where Did ‘Let Them’ Come From?

Years before Mel Robbins published her best-selling self-help book, a struggling writer posted a poem with a similar message.

detail of photo of teen boy in red and blue jersey sitting with hands clasped and leaning against wall covered in cut-out magazine pages and sports posters
Courtesy of Adrienne Salinger / D.A.P.

No Parents Allowed

Before smartphones and social media, teenagers constructed their identity on the walls of their room.