THE FABRIC OF A MODERN, DISILLUSIONED, DISENGAGED, AND MENTALLY UNWELL GENERATION

Liviu Poenaru, Mar. 4, 2025

​

​

Recent studies have revealed a significant shift in patterns of happiness and life satisfaction, particularly in English-speaking countries. Traditionally, well-being studies have observed a U-shaped curve, where young adulthood is associated with high life satisfaction, followed by a midlife dip and a subsequent rise in later years. Data now suggest a fundamental transformation in this pattern. Young people are experiencing a steady decline in happiness and life satisfaction, while older adults report greater well-being. This inversion of the U-shaped curve signals an emergent generational well-being crisis that demands closer examination (Twenge & Blanchflower, 2025).

​

Multiple surveys, including the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the General Social Survey (GSS), and the American National Election Survey (ANES), all point to a marked deterioration in well-being among young adults in the U.S. Similar trends have been identified in international datasets such as the European Commission’s surveys, the World Values Survey (WVS), the Global Flourishing Study, and Global Minds. Across six major English-speaking countries—Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and the U.S.—life satisfaction has consistently declined among younger generations. At the same time, older adults have either maintained or improved their well-being, resulting in a striking reversal of the previous U-shaped happiness curve (Blanchflower & Twenge, 2025).

​

The causes of this generational crisis are complex and multidimensional. One of the most widely discussed factors is the rise of digital technologies, particularly smartphones and social media. Research has repeatedly linked increased screen time to heightened anxiety, loneliness, and depression. The omnipresence of social media fosters an environment of constant comparison, cyberbullying, and unrealistic self-expectations, all of which erode young people’s sense of self-worth. Unlike previous generations, who navigated adolescence and early adulthood without the pressures of digital surveillance, today’s youth experience an unprecedented level of scrutiny, leading to lower self-esteem and diminished life satisfaction (Haidt, 2025).

​

Beyond technology, economic insecurity is a significant contributor to the decline in young people’s well-being. Many face stagnating wages, rising student debt, housing crises, and an increasingly precarious job market. The traditional markers of stability—such as homeownership, long-term employment, and financial independence—are becoming unattainable for many, exacerbating feelings of frustration and hopelessness. As a result, younger generations are delaying major life milestones, which historically contributed to greater life satisfaction. The growing cost-of-living crisis, particularly in urban centers, has only deepened these concerns, making financial and personal autonomy seem ever more elusive (MetLife, 2025).

​

Beyond these external, traditional socio-economic and technological conditions, a deeper and more insidious transformation is occurring: the injection of economic codes into the unconscious and the body by engineered humans evolving within the digital landscape. The contemporary digital economy does not merely shape behavior at a surface level—it operates at the structural level of subjectivity. Economic codes infiltrate the unconscious through algorithmic nudging, gamified interactions, and predictive conditioning, shaping desires, expectations, and even physiological responses. This process creates an endless proliferation of artificial goals, designed not to be fulfilled but to sustain perpetual economic participation.

​

This dynamic does not simply encourage overconsumption or hyper-productivity; it restructures how individuals perceive themselves and relate to the world. The internalization of these economic codes leads to profound mental health issues, including chronic dissatisfaction, attention fragmentation, and a distorted sense of self-worth. The subject, instead of seeking meaning through authentic social and existential engagement, is caught in an infinite loop of algorithmic validation, achievement metrics, and digitalized self-optimization. These mechanisms reinforce feelings of inadequacy and despair, intensifying anxiety disorders, depressive states, and burnout.

​

Political and social upheavals further compound this crisis. Over the past decade, young people have witnessed significant global disruptions, from the COVID-19 pandemic and climate crises to economic recessions and escalating geopolitical tensions. These external stressors have heightened existential anxieties, particularly for a generation that feels disillusioned with traditional institutions. Polarization and ideological fragmentation on social media platforms contribute to a sense of uncertainty, alienation, and powerlessness, further diminishing overall well-being (VanderWeele, 2022).

​

Ironically, despite growing awareness and destigmatization of mental health issues, young people are reporting higher rates of depression, anxiety, and loneliness than ever before. Some researchers suggest that an overemphasis on individual therapy and self-care culture may be inadequate in addressing the broader structural issues affecting well-being. The shift from community-based social support networks to more individualized mental health interventions could be limiting young people’s ability to develop resilience, leaving them feeling isolated rather than empowered (Black, 2024).

​

This generational disparity in well-being has profound societal implications. If older adults continue to experience increasing happiness while younger generations struggle, social cohesion may be at risk. A growing divide in life satisfaction between age groups could exacerbate intergenerational tensions, particularly regarding economic policies, social priorities, and mental health interventions. Declining well-being among young workers may also lead to reduced productivity, lower innovation, and economic stagnation, further reinforcing the cycle of discontent (Vox, 2024).

​

Policymakers must consider expanding mental health resources, regulating the psychological impact of social media, and implementing economic reforms to improve financial security for young people. Researchers need to investigate whether these trends are reversible or if they mark a long-term shift in generational well-being. Understanding the mechanisms behind this crisis is essential to shaping a future where young people are not left behind in an era of increasing life satisfaction for older adults (The Guardian, 2024).

​

This context challenges long-standing assumptions about well-being across the lifespan. Instead of a U-shaped trajectory, we may now be facing a generational reversal, where happiness belongs to the old while the young grapple with crisis. If left unaddressed, this shift could redefine societal structures, interpersonal relationships, and economic dynamics in ways that demand urgent attention.

​

 

 

Bibliography

Twenge, J. M. & Blanchflower, D. G (2025). Declining Life Satisfaction and Happiness Among Young Adults in Six English-Speaking Countries. National Bureau of Economic Research. https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w33490/w33490.pdf

Haidt, J. (2025). The Anxious Generation: How Smartphones Are Making Our Children Unhappy. The Times. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/jonathan-haidt-how-we-can-save-our-children-from-smartphones-d9f2cgs20

MetLife. (2025). Gen Z Employees Experiencing Significant Declines in Holistic Health. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2025/01/16/lifestyle/gen-z-already-suffering-midlife-crisis-research-finds-not-doing-well/

VanderWeele, T. J. (2022). Why Are Young People So Miserable?. Harvard Gazette. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/09/why-are-young-people-so-miserable/

Black, C. (2024). Happiness Crisis: Why Our Youth Are Struggling. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/empower-your-mind/202404/happiness-crisis-why-our-youth-are-struggling

Vox. (2024). The new burnout generation. Grind culture has come for the teens. https://www.vox.com/life/378065/teen-stress-burnout-teens-productivity-anxiety​​

The Guardian. (2024). ‘Happiness recession’: UK 15-year-olds at bottom of European satisfaction league.https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/aug/29/uk-teenagers-low-life-satisfaction-europe

​

​