Report: Young People Less Happy Than Older Generations

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Facts

  • The US fell out of the top 20 happiest nations in 2024 in the World Happiness Report, mostly because the well-being of American youth has declined. Experts blame society's inability to control social media for the unhappiness of younger generations.1
  • The top spot went to Finland, as researchers attributed Scandinavian countries' high ranking to social support and long life expectancies. The US dropped from 15th to 23rd in the ranking, but researchers have identified notable differences between generations.2
  • Millennials (people aged 30 and younger) in North America, Western Europe, Middle Eastern, South Asia, and North Africa tended to be less happy than other age groups.3
  • In the US, senior citizens 60 and older were significantly happier than younger Americans. In fact, this age group is among the happiest in the world — ranking in the top 10.2
  • Dr. Vivek Murthy, the US surgeon general, reacted to the data saying younger generations are experiencing 'the equivalent of a midlife crisis.'1
  • The World Happiness Report does not explain the causes of these historic changes, but experts say 'social media, financial inequality, the housing crisis,' as well as fears about war and climate change, continue to have an impact on young people's happiness.1

Sources: 1Guardian, 2NPR Online News and 3United Nations Western Europe.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by The World Happiness Report. The 2024 World Happiness Report shows significant drops by the US and Germany. And in many Western nations, older people are significantly happier than young people, which may have to do with social media use. Based on increased happiness in Central and Eastern Europe, Africa, Cambodia, Russia, and China, a rich, real-world social life and a social support system seem to boost happiness.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Greater Good. It's possible that the World Happiness Report is skewed towards cultural biases. The report fails to account for the fact that happiness is seen differently among cultures. There are individualistic societies that place a greater emphasis on individuals and their status, while collectivist cultures place a higher value on happiness only if others around them are equally happy. The report doesn't appear to take these vital cultural differences into consideration.

Predictions