The New Generation less Happy and Satisfied with Life, One in Four Receiving Depression Treatment

According to a new survey examining life satisfaction among young people in the United States, members of Generation Z are feeling less happy than previous generations and increasingly anxious about the future. The results of Gallup’s Life Evaluation Index show that 27% of people aged 18 to 29 are receiving treatment for depression, an increase of 11 percentage points compared with 2019. According to the survey, only 44% of people in this age group described their lives as thriving, down from 64% in 2010. Young people also reported feeling more distant from friends and romantic partners, experiencing less happiness and facing greater uncertainty about the future. Fewer than one-third said they had achieved most of their goals over the past year.

According to Dr. Katerina Fiore, a psychologist based in Connecticut, Generation Z has faced constant access to smartphones and social media, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic and financial pressures such as rising housing costs. She said that the reduction in social interaction caused by the pandemic during crucial stages of young people's development could have long-lasting effects. Survey data show that in 2010, 64% of young people believed their lives were thriving. This figure fell to 57% in 2019 and dropped further to 39% in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. After some improvement in 2023, the percentage rose to 51%, but subsequently declined again.

The findings concerning young people's relationships were also troubling. Only 47% said their relationship with a spouse, partner or close friend had become stronger, compared with 65% in 2019. Similarly, only 64% of young people said they had experienced happiness the previous day, a decline of 17 percentage points from 2019. The proportion who felt energetic and productive every day during the previous week was also just 28%, down 16 percentage points from the earlier figure.

Dr. Fiore said Generation Z is among the first generations to have spent a substantial part of childhood and adolescence online. According to her, research has identified associations between social media use and depression, as well as psychological problems related to eating behaviour, suggesting that this factor may also contribute to young people's difficulties.

When asked whether they had someone in their lives that inspired optimism and excitement about the future, only one-third of young people said they had such a role model or mentor. In 2019, 47% reported having someone they considered a role model. Satisfaction with quality of life has also declined. Only 41% said they were satisfied with their quality of life compared with people around them, a figure 14 percentage points lower than in 2019. Similarly, only 31% said they had achieved most of their goals over the previous 12 months, compared with 44% previously.

According to the survey, declining life satisfaction is not limited to Generation Z. Among millennial aged 30 to 44, only 45% described themselves as thriving. The figure stood at 46% among Generation X, aged 45 to 64, matching the generation's lowest level recorded in 2008.

In contrast, life satisfaction among baby boomers aged 65 and older rose from 38% in 2008 to 53% in 2026, matching the generation's previous peak recorded in 2021. The findings highlight concerns about young people's mental health, social relationships and financial pressures. However, the survey data alone do not establish that social media, the pandemic or financial difficulties are the sole causes of these changes.