Study Says Young People Aren't As Happy As They Used To Be

There's a quiet hum of restlessness that pulses beneath the surface of Generation Z, a generation that was promised everything but handed uncertainty at every turn. From global pandemics to economic instability, and a digitally saturated culture that never sleeps, young adults are coming of age in an environment that feels more like a pressure cooker than a playground. And for many of them, it's taking a toll.

According to a 2022 survey conducted by Harvard Graduate School of Education's Making Caring Common Project, a staggering 58% of young adults between the ages of 18 to 25 reported struggling to find "meaning or purpose" in life. 

Moreover, 36% of young adults who responded to the survey reported anxiety compared to 18% of teens; 29% of young adults reported depression compared to 15% of teens.

They're not just overwhelmed, they're uncertain of why they're even doing it all. This isn't a generation that simply wants a job; they want their lives to matter. And yet, the pathways toward purpose seem clouded, blocked, or, for many, simply missing.

Earlier research showed that the way people experienced happiness across their lifetimes looked like a U-shaped curve: Happiness tended to be high when they were young, then dipped in midlife, only to rise again as they grew old. But recent surveys suggest that the curve is starting to flatten. 

Financial Security & Motivation

The Harvard researchers found that more than half of young adults reported that financial worries (56%) and achievement pressure (51%) were negatively impacting their mental health.

Today, many young workers feel disengaged, unmotivated, and unsupported at their workplaces. They want to contribute to something greater than themselves, but find themselves stuck in roles that lack alignment with their values or dreams.

Perhaps the most paradoxical insight? The most connected generation is also one of the loneliest. Despite constant online interaction, young adults report a deep lack of strong, in-person relationships.

According to the Making Caring Common report, meaningful connections with friends and family, especially offline, are key predictors of mental wellness, yet these are often missing.

Milena Batanova, MCC’s Director of Research & Evaluation and a co-author of the report, says in the report, “Young adults’ mental health hasn’t been on our public radar in the way that teens’ mental health has been since the pandemic. But really high percentages of young adult respondents to our survey said they felt anxious, depressed, or both."

The pandemic exacerbated this gap, but the issue runs deeper. Young adults' relationships, both romantic and platonic, are increasingly shaped by digital platforms, leaving many with a gnawing sense of isolation.

A Generation in Search of Something Real

If the research tells us anything, it's that today's young adults are asking deeper questions than they're given credit for. "Why am I doing this?" "Who am I becoming?" "What’s the point?" These aren't dramatic outbursts; they're echoes of a generation craving clarity.

As Richard Weissbourd, the lead researcher from Harvard's study, says in the report, “Young adulthood can be a time of great growth and possibility. But far too many young adults told us that they feel on edge, lonely, directionless, and that they worry about financial security. Many are ‘achieving to achieve’ and find little meaning in either school or work.”

To meet this moment, solutions must go beyond surface-level fixes. Mental health apps and corporate wellness emails won't be enough. What young adults need is mentorship, spaces for honest conversations, and cultural systems that value human beings over productivity.

Views expressed by the author are their own.