Gen Z and Millennials Are The Unhappiest Generations. Here's Why.

For decades, the prevailing wisdom in social science was the U-shaped curve of happiness: people were happiest in their youth and old age, with a dip in middle age. However, a new comprehensive study, based on data from 44 countries including the US and UK, reveals this established pattern has fundamentally changed. The data now shows a peak of unhappiness among the young, which then declines with age. This change isn't due to middle-aged and older people becoming happier, but rather a significant deterioration in young people's mental health, Daily Dazzling Dawn understands.

The shift is starkly visible in the US. Analysis of publicly available health data, which surveys over 400,000 people annually, shows the percentage of people in despair—defined as those whose mental health was reported as "not good" every day in the preceding 30 days—has surged among the young. Between 1993 and 2024, despair more than doubled for young men (ages 18-24), from 2.5% to 6.6%, and nearly trebled for young women, rising from 3.2% to 9.3%.

Despair also rose for the middle-aged (25-44), but at a less rapid pace. For women, it increased from 4.2% to 8.5%, and for men, from 3.1% to 6.9%. Conversely, the percentage of older men and women in despair rose only slightly over the same period. By 2023-24, this resulted in a complete reversal of the previous pattern. Young women now have the highest levels of despair, while older women have the lowest. For men, despair levels are similar for the youngest and middle-aged groups, with the oldest group remaining the least affected.

Insights into the British Context and Diverse Communities

Similar to the US, the UK has experienced parallel trends, as evidenced by analyses of the UK Household Longitudinal Survey and the Annual Population Survey. While the specific study did not break down despair by ethnic group, a growing body of separate research sheds light on the unique mental health challenges faced by different communities within the UK.

The British Muslim community, a diverse group predominantly of South Asian, Middle Eastern, and African descent, faces specific stressors. Studies by organizations like the Mental Health Foundation and Islamic Relief have highlighted that young Muslims, particularly women, often navigate a complex interplay of cultural expectations, religious identity, and societal prejudice. A 2023 report by the Muslim Council of Britain noted that 40% of young British Muslims reported experiencing a mental health issue, a rate higher than the national average.

Within the broader British South Asian community—which includes individuals of Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi heritage—mental health stigma remains a significant barrier to seeking help. Research by Public Health England indicates that while many South Asian communities report strong family support, this can sometimes mask underlying mental health struggles, which are often not openly discussed.

For the British Bangladeshi community, there are unique challenges. Studies have pointed to a high prevalence of mental health issues, particularly among younger generations grappling with identity and intergenerational conflict. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation's research on poverty and ethnicity has also found that the community faces significant socioeconomic challenges, including higher rates of poverty, which are strong risk factors for poor mental health.

Investigating the Underlying Causes

While the reasons for these dramatic changes are still being investigated, the rise in despair predates the COVID-19 pandemic, although the pandemic likely accelerated the trend. Researchers are looking into several potential factors.

The most widely discussed is the heavy use of social media and the internet. A growing body of evidence suggests a link between excessive screen time and worsening youth mental health. A 2023 study by the Royal Society for Public Health found that 68% of young people believe that social media platforms make them feel worse about themselves.

However, many experts argue that technology is not the sole cause. A recent, yet-to-be-peer-reviewed study from the researchers behind the initial report points to a reduction in the protective power of paid work. While employment has traditionally been a buffer against poor mental health, the study found that despair is rising among young workers, indicating that the nature of work itself may be contributing to the problem.

The findings call for policymakers to place the issue of rising youth despair at the heart of any national well-being strategy. Addressing this crisis will require a multi-faceted approach that considers the full spectrum of modern life's pressures on young people, from digital consumption to econ

omic precarity.