Gen Z is feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed due to global crises, financial insecurity, and constant social media comparison, leading to feelings of hopelessness and isolation, despite also being engaged, tolerant, and seeking authentic connection. They report high rates of mental health struggles, including sadness and anxiety, stemming from pandemic disruptions, economic pressures like housing costs, and climate anxiety, yet they are more open to discussing mental health and often seek meaning and purpose.
They're prone to anxiety
Mental health is still a big issue for Gen Z. They're the most likely generation to say they're prone to anxiety (28% say this) and to report that social media stresses them out (18% say this). Since 2020, there's been a 25% rise in Gen Z reporting a mental health condition.
Whilst boomers and millennials may use the 😂 emoji, this has long since been deemed 'uncool' (or 'cheugy') by Gen Z. Instead, this has been replaced by the skull (💀) or the crying emoji (😭), dramatising the idea of 'dying with laughter'.
Gen Z are typically self-driven, collaborative, and diverse-minded. They value flexibility, authenticity, and a pragmatic approach to addressing problems. Gen Z are misunderstood. Contrary to stereotypes of being “lazy” or “coddled,” Gen Z is entrepreneurial and adaptive.
Social Issues
Across much of the world, it is no longer middle-aged adults who are the most miserable. Instead, young people, especially Gen Z, are reporting the highest levels of unhappiness of any age group.
Bae – Boyfriend or girlfriend.
In Emotional Intelligence (EI) terms, Gen Z displays exceptional emotional expression and social awareness, especially concerning equity and inclusion. They are often highly attuned to emotional cues, especially in digital interactions, but are still developing in emotional regulation and resilience under pressure.
For Gen Z, many of these fears stem from a combination of things: economic uncertainty and financial insecurity, climate concerns, student debt, job market instability, social media, rapid change and an overall loss of hope and purpose.
The Censuswide survey, carried out on behalf of Oxfam to mark Volunteers' Week, found that while over a third of Brits (34 per cent) often feel lonely, Generation Z - those aged between 16-28 - are the loneliest generation of them all.
Resembles plewds, stylized sweat droplets used in comics and animation to show characters working hard or feeling stressed. May be used to represent various types of liquids, including sexual fluids. May also be used to represent various liquid-based slang expressions (e.g., drip, “exceptional style, swagger").
Commonly used to express gratitude or a plea. Gen Z might use it to say thank you or to ask for something kindly. Emoji Example: “Thanks for your help! 🙏”
You're welcome in advance.
For Gen Z, the 😭 (Loudly Crying Face) emoji usually means something is overwhelmingly funny, cute, or heartwarming, signifying "crying with laughter" or extreme emotion, rather than actual sadness, often replacing older emojis like 😂 (Tears of Joy) or the skull emoji 💀 for laughter. It conveys intense, often positive, feelings that are so powerful they bring on tears, showing they are "dead" from laughing or being touched.
Gen Z's approach to flirting is a masterclass in nuance, creativity, and adaptability. They don't follow traditional scripts. They're as likely to send a meme as a pick-up line, and their “moves” are often layered in irony, humour, and authenticity.
There's no single "toughest" generation, as each faces unique struggles, but Generation X (born 1965-1980) is often cited as the most stressed due to balancing work, family, and finances while facing economic uncertainty, yet they also show high resilience, while younger generations like Gen Z grapple with unprecedented housing costs and climate anxiety, making the definition of "tough" subjective and dependent on the specific challenges faced.
“A cheery or corporate 'hello' can come across as disingenuous or emotionally performative. Gen Zers value emotional clarity over politeness. They want authenticity, not artifice.” All that said, it's still a little strange.
Gen Z Struggles With Mental Health
Mental health can be one of the most taboo problems with Gen Z in the workplace, as Gen Z struggles with mental health conditions at higher rates than other generations.
Although millennial and generation-z people are not that far apart in age, the constant difference in test scores, confirms that the more recent, Generation Z, already experiences gains in general intelligence.
Beyond job security, Gen Z also has to grapple with the impending threat of climate change. Growing up amid constant news of wildfires, floods and rising global temperatures, many young people feel a sense of nihilism that is driven by the media they consume and their experiences in the real world.
Mood - Something is a “mood” when it's relatable. Often used as a photo caption, the term is a quick way to say, “This is how I'm feeling.” 44. Netflix and Chill - We all love to watch Netflix and hang out with our friends, but Netflix and Chill doesn't mean you're just watching a movie.
But it does provide some rough guidelines as to how soon may be too soon to make long-term commitments and how long may be too long to stick with a relationship. Each of the three numbers—three, six, and nine—stands for the month that a different common stage of a relationship tends to end.
Eight signs that you may be in a toxic relationship:
DTR = define the relationship! That typically means going from just “seeing each other” to putting a label on it - as in you're calling each other BF/GF/partner. It's a big (sometimes scary) step in dating and this will help you figure out if you're actually ready.