If we were to believe Maslow's hierarchy of needs, we need our basic physical needs met in order to be happy. That includes food, shelter, stable income, and good health. Sadly, not all Americans have that. In fact, a whopping 37.9 million people were in poverty in 2022 in the U.S.
If the original Lost Generation got its name from living through two world wars, this current generation calls itself 'lost' because we feel that the system is rigged against us. As stated in the description for the r/LostGeneration community, we "did everything our parents told us to do... now what?"
One of the reasons experts say people under 30 are so unhappy is social media. The U.S. surgeon general Dr. Vivek Murthy told The Guardian that as of 2024, there is no data proving that social media is not harmful to children and adolescents. He says that governments having no regulation of social media for children is "insane."
It's not just the young people who are perhaps overusing social media. A typical user spends from two to two and a half hours a day on social media sites. Experts are saying that the prevalence of social media has contributed greatly to an epidemic of loneliness and isolation.
Jonathan Haidt, an NYU social psychologist and author of "The Anxious Generation," wrote for the Atlantic about how spending too much time online can put us into a habitual state of defensiveness. "Kids going through puberty online are likely to experience far more social comparison, self-consciousness, public shaming, and chronic anxiety than adolescents in previous generations," he noted.
However, other reaserchers are seeing a more nuanced picture. They say that the unhappiness of young people comes from economic uncertainty. One in three adults ages 18 to 34 in the U.S. live with parents. Many of them do so because they can't afford their own place to live. According to The World Economic Forum, student loan debt and stagnant wages also contribute to a lack of financial stability for young people.
Youth unemployment rates are also high not only in the U.S. but in other developed countries as well. The age-old "Get an education and you'll get a sturdy job" rule also often goes out the window. Joanie Bily, chief workforce analyst at Employbridge, told CNBC that many college graduates are taking jobs that have nothing to do with their degrees. "They’re looking to enter into the workforce and launch their careers, and many of them are taking jobs even in leisure and hospitality, because that’s where the jobs are."
The current generation is also very uncertain about the future of the planet. The climate crisis, political unrest, and the dire prospects for our species has many young people skeptical and wondering whether they should have children or if they should even bother working towards any goals.
