A UN-backed study finds that young people in six English-speaking nations are experiencing declining happiness, reversing traditional life satisfaction trends
For decades, midlife was seen as the toughest stage of life, but a new UN-commissioned study suggests that youth may now be the most challenging. Academics Jean Twenge and David Blanchflower have found that life satisfaction no longer follows a U-shaped curve—where youth was carefree, middle age was stressful, and older adulthood brought contentment. Instead, happiness now rises steadily with age.
Analysing data from the UK, US, Ireland, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, the researchers found that young people—especially young women—have seen a sharp drop in wellbeing over the past decade. Social media, cyberbullying, and reduced face-to-face interaction are key factors, with the decline starting around 2013, well before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Embed from Getty Images“The young have become isolated,” Blanchflower told The Guardian. “They’re not going out, socialising, or even having as much sex. We’re facing an absolute global crisis.”
The implications could be vast, affecting education, employment, and global productivity. With mental health concerns keeping more young people out of the workforce, the UN is expanding research to determine whether this crisis is occurring worldwide.
“We always assumed happiness declines before rising again later in life,” Blanchflower said. “Now, we’re realising we may have been wrong all along.
