Only half of Gen Z say they are thriving, less than millennials at the same age
Published in Slideshow World
Young Americans are less optimistic these days, but none more so than Generation Z.
Less than half (47%) of Gen Zers said they were thriving, according to a survey conducted by Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation. The survey asked Americans to rate their current and future lives out of 10, with people classifying as "thriving" if they both rate their current lives as at least a 7 and their future lives as at least an 8. By this definition, this puts them behind every other generation surveyed, save for the Silent Generation, who are aged 71 and over.
Millennials were much more optimistic. Some 59% of this generation, born between 1981 and 1996, said they were thriving. They were also more optimistic at the same age. Surveys taken in 2009 and 2014, back when millennials were the same age as Gen Zers are today, found that 60% of 18- to 26-year-olds were considered thriving. This suggests Gen Zers' state of well-being is not just a result of their youth but rather that their generation is truly different. While not a measure of mental health, the survey results suggest mental well-being might impact how optimistic Gen Z is about their lives and the future. More than 36% of Gen Z rate their mental health as "poor" or "only fair," more than any other generation.
This uneasiness isn't unfounded. With increasing reports of violence, sexual harassment and assaults, and environmental concerns, it's an unusual—and worrisome—climate to come of age. Political polarization has been rising—a trend that has been difficult to ignore for people who consume social media in large quantities—and most Gen Zers, born between 1997 and 2012, had their schooling disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many did not get the opportunity to graduate in person, and some graduated into an unfriendly job market.
For that reason, Wysa analyzed data from the Gallup-Walton Family Foundation report to better understand how well-being varies by generation. Data on Gen Z is from a survey conducted in the United States from April 24 to May 8, 2023, while data on older generations is from a survey conducted in February 2023.
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