Young people are more unhappy than older generations, research finds
Dr. Murthy shared new findings showing that the youth in North America are now less content than the older generation
Global studies have indicated a concerning trend: the younger generation is experiencing a decrease in happiness means unhappy, akin to a midlife crisis, and is struggling more than their older counterparts. This alarming revelation has been highlighted by Dr. Vivek Murthy, the US Surgeon General. He equated the unregulated use of social media by children to administering unproven medication, criticizing the lack of effective governmental control over social media platforms.
In an interview with The Guardian, Dr. Murthy shared new findings showing that the youth in North America are now less content than the older generation, a pattern that is anticipated to replicate in Western Europe. The 2024 World Happiness Report, which ranks the happiness levels of 140 countries, no longer includes the US in the top 20, primarily due to the declining wellbeing of those under 30.
The report indicates a reversal in a 12-year trend where 15 to 24-year-olds in the US were happier than the older generations. This happiness gap has also been closing in Western Europe, and it is predicted that the same trend reversal could occur within the next couple of years.
Doctors encourage real-world social connections among youth
Dr. Murthy referred to these findings as a warning sign of the difficulties faced by the youth, not just in the US, but globally. He expressed his concern about the safety of social media platforms for young users and advocated for global measures to enhance real-world social interactions among the youth.
The World Happiness Report, a collaborative effort between Oxford University’s Wellbeing Research Centre, Gallup, and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, revealed significant decreases in youth happiness, particularly in North America and Western Europe. Prof. Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, the director of the Wellbeing Research Centre and editor of the study, expressed his concern about this trend.
He emphasized the urgency of policy interventions in response to the fact that children in some parts of the world are already experiencing what can be likened to a midlife crisis. He pointed out that the declining wellbeing scores in North America, Australia, and New Zealand challenge the widely accepted belief that happiness levels dip in midlife after a happy youth, before rising again.
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