Study finds young people aren’t as happy as they used to be

The kids are not alright

While our twenties are sold to us as the best time of our lives, characterised by limitless opportunities and carelessness, new data shows that young people are struggling more than we thought.

Annoyingly, our grandparents may have been right when they said young people were happier back in their day.

According to new data collected from over 200,000 people across 20 different countries, young adults really aren’t as happy as they used to be. 

While you may hear from anyone more than a decade older than you that “your twenties are the best days of your life”, they’ve sadly been proven wrong.

Why are young people struggling?

The way we experience happiness typically looks like a U-shaped curve across the span of our lives in research, peaking when we’re young, before dropping during midlife, and picking back up when we’re old and lapping up retirement. 

But the U-shaped curves are flattening out in many studies, as young people feel less happy than they once did, and this in-depth research has shown the same trend again. 

Published in Nature Mental Health journal, the study found that those who society collectively agrees are in the peak of their lives, are very much struggling. 

This group reported having a hard time when it comes to their physical health, perception of self, financial security, relationships, and finding meaning in life. Image: Pexels

It’s not just their mental health that’s cause for concern. 

This group reported having a hard time when it comes to their physical health, perception of self, financial security, relationships, and finding meaning in life. 

Combining all of these factors, the team found that young people experienced relatively low levels of ‘flourishing’.

We all feel it, but it doesn’t feel great to have our fears confirmed.  Image: iStock

We all feel it, but it doesn’t feel great to have our fears confirmed. 

Young people have wider access to information than previous generations, and many opportunities to educate themselves, and while those before us have been notably politically active, the state of the world is currently quite grim.

We’re also constantly reminded of just how grim, in fact, we can’t get away from reminders, thanks to our social media addictions. Our algorithms push sad and inflammatory news in our faces, barely giving us a moment to remember to quickly swipe past this content to train the algorithm to stop showing it to us. 

We’re trying to be more informed on global events, at the same time as reducing our feeling of overwhelm, which feels impossible and reminds us all that ignorance truly is bliss. Image: Pexels

In Australia, young people outnumber baby boomers for the first time this federal election, and we’re feeling the weight of our vote, trying to read up on every important issue and each party’s promised action. 

We’re trying to be more informed on global events, at the same time as reducing our feeling of overwhelm, which feels impossible and reminds us all that ignorance truly is bliss.

We had our mental health, careers and social lives rocked by a global pandemic that none of us have fully recovered from, and we’re realising our dream jobs and homes are probably not on the cards for many of us. 

Lead author of the study, Tyler J. VanderWeele said the findings paint “a pretty stark picture”, according to The New York Times, and raise the question, “Are we sufficiently investing in the well-being of youth?”

Respondents in many western countries, including the UK and Australia, reported quite low levels of flourishing on average until they reached 50. Image: Pexels

Which age group is happiest?

So if the most carefree age group aren’t flourishing, who is? 

50-year-olds. 

Respondents in many western countries, including the UK and Australia, reported quite low levels of flourishing on average until they reached 50. So if nothing else, maybe Gen Z will be able to avoid a mid-life crisis. 

While we’re more connected than ever, young people are missing connection, according to experts.  Image: Pexels

Countries including Japan and Kenya still follow the traditional U-shape curve, with residents reportedly thriving most in youth and older age, while populations in Poland and Tanzania reported flourishing less the older they got.

Experts blame a lack of socialisation

While we’re more connected than ever, young people are missing connection, according to experts. 

Laurie Santos, a psychology professor at Yale and host of The Happiness Lab podcast said,  “Study after study shows that social connection is critical for happiness, and young people are spending less time with friends than they were a decade ago”.

The team will continue to collect data for the next two years to try to pinpoint exactly why young people aren’t flourishing. Image: Pexels

There are, of course, greater daunting issues globally. Though the surveys were completed at different times across different countries, so there’s no specific selection of political, economic or cultural events that can be blamed for the level of angst among young people when they were reporting the state of their wellbeing. 

But Santos added that “like folks of all ages, young people are facing a world with a whole host of global issues — from climate to the economy to political polarization.”

The study isn’t able to speak to the wellbeing of young people globally, with low-income countries not represented in the research.

The team will continue to collect data for the next two years to try to pinpoint exactly why young people aren’t flourishing.

Originally published as Study finds young people aren’t as happy as they used to be