Generation Z feels the unhappiest – study

Generation Z has emerged as the unhappiest generation in history. Researchers from Harvard and Baylor universities analyzed data from more than 200,000 people across 22 countries and found that the usual “happiness curve” has shifted. The study was reported in Fortune magazine.

Traditionally, people experienced the happiest period of their lives in youth, followed by a decline in midlife satisfaction and a rebound in old age. Now, this pattern has flattened. Young people are losing their sense of joy earlier and take longer to recover it.

The researchers noted that individuals aged 18–29 report higher levels of anxiety, depression, financial stress, and a lack of life purpose. Many feel lonely, unproductive, and uncertain about their future.

“This is a very alarming picture. Are we investing enough in young people’s well-being?” said Tyler VanderWeel, director of the Human Development Program at Harvard and one of the study’s authors.

The team linked Generation Z’s anxiety to societal pressure, uncertainty, political conflicts, and a constant flow of negative news. More than half of respondents admitted to lacking a sense of purpose, while an equal number said they constantly worry about money.

According to the researchers, if this trend continues, society may need to reconsider its assumptions about the “happiest period” of life.

For context, children born between 2025 and 2039 are considered part of Generation Beta. Generation Beta follows Generation Alpha, born between 2010 and 2024. Prior to that were Generation Z (1997–2010) and Generation Y, or Millennials (1981–1996).

                                                                          Mohichera Qadamova