Young adults are experiencing something unexpected. Their level of satisfaction is dropping even though they live in a time of unparalleled technical development, more connection, and general economic expansion. For many years, psychologists thought that happiness followed a predictable U-shaped curve: we have a “midlife crisis” when we’re young and then recover in our later years. However, new evidence suggests that pattern has vanished. Rather, happiness merely rises with age, with elderly persons reporting the highest levels of well-being and young adults the lowest. Young folks’ decreasing levels of happiness are not occurring in a vacuum; they are coincident with concerning rises in mental health problems.
Although there isn’t a one explanation for why young adults are becoming more depressed, experts have found a number of possible causes, Screen usage has been connected to less in-person social connection, poor mental health, and the creation of irrational comparisons, which lowers self-esteem and increases anxiety. Young adults are experiencing financial instability as a result of rising housing expenses, student loan debt, and job market uncertainty, which lowers their well-being. Young adults are less likely than earlier generations to engage in civic, religious, and local community activities all of which are important sources of support and belonging.
The study suggests that while it raises concerns about the negative impact of digital culture on young people’s well-being, it also presents an opportunity for societal rethinking. Crisis can be effectively addressed by investing in youth-centered mental health care.
