According to Parker and Igielnik (2020), Gen Zs spend less time in direct face-to-face contact with other people, and this is one reason why they have the highest ever generational reports of depression. Recent studies indicate that the mental health of Gen Zs has been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our research has found that Gen Z has been hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic in several areas, reporting much higher rates of anxiety, decreased work hours, unemployment, and the need for financial help (CGK's COVID-19 Generational National Research Study, 2020).
According to Cigna International Health's 2023 survey of almost 12,000 workers around the world, 91% of 18-to-24-year-olds report being stressed – compared to 84% on average. Research indicates Gen Z are emerging as the most stressed demographic in the workplace, and struggling mightily to cope.
Unlike previous generations, Gen Z has little to no memory of a world without the internet, smartphones, and social media. Technology is a substantial part of their life. Being continually connected can also result in self-esteem issues and feeling pressure to conform.
Gen Z can handle stress – in fact they're brave enough to say it's unacceptable. Steven Bartlett, the entrepreneur and superstar podcaster, ruffled a few younger feathers recently when he described Gen Z as “the least resilient generation I have ever seen”.
Gen Z also faces an unprecedented behavioral health crisis: US Gen Zers surveyed by McKinsey report the least positive outlook and the highest prevalence of mental illness of any generation, and European respondents report struggling with self-stigma.
#1 - Reflecting and Reevaluating. Many Gen Zs are worried about the future, according to a study by Cigna. In fact, 65% of employees say they have spent increased time evaluating their life priorities compared with two years ago—and this number is higher among Gen Z—at 71%.
Gen Z has been called the 'most depressed generation' with the least positive outlook and diminished emotional and social well-being. They have more unmet social needs than any other generation. The statistics for their behavioural-health issues – mental and substance disorders – are alarming.
Gen Z (42%) is about twice as likely as Americans over 25 (23%) to battle depression and feelings of hopelessness.
A leading moral psychologist traces the political anger and anxiety of Generation Z to well meaning — but hyper — parenting. Generation Z is the most medicated and depressed generation in history, and the most looked after.
Aligned with the job satisfaction insights, Gen Zs also proved to be the generation most likely to quit their job if they are unhappy with their workplace, the report found.
Among the things Generation Z cares about, racial and gender equality are at the top of the list. Gen Z is also concerned about climate change and the potential impacts their generation will have to deal with in the years to come.
The idea of social isolation makes them even more anxious and uneasy, and makes them want to be socially involved all the time. Social anxiety can also be attributed to the changing nuclear family setup in modern India, where gen z are subject to helicopter parenting (J. L. Young, 2017).
Gen Zers and millennials are more likely than other generations to say social media affects their mental health. Studies of young adults and their social media use have shown an inverse relationship between screen time and psychological well-being, 1. with higher utilization associated with poorer well-being.
“Gen Z are digital natives and they've always communicated online, so their interpersonal skills, or soft skills, have suffered,” said Salinas. “They took an even bigger hit because of Covid-19, and it has shifted the way that we need to interact with them in the workplace.”
Gen Z is very concerned about their ability to communicate and forge strong interpersonal relationships. This may be due to the fact that technology has negatively impacted their cognitive skill development, and they recognize that their social skills, like critical thinking and communication, are weak.
Gen Z and mental health. Regarding the stats, it's clear that Gen Z is struggling. A 2022 survey of Gen Z young adults (ages 19 through 24) found that 42% are diagnosed with a mental health condition.
According to a February 2022 Ogilvy study, 70% of Gen-Zers say their mental health needs the most attention or improvement. And an American Psychological Association report found that Gen-Z is more likely to report mental health concerns than any other demographic group.
Gen Z moms feel less confident.
They put more emphasis on being the "perfect mom" compared to Millennials, and they strive to reach more parenting ideals, from keeping kids busy to owning the scheduling for the entire family.
They tend to play it safe. That's very like the Silent gen. In fact, Time magazine gave Silents their name because they played it safe, keeping their heads down and not speaking out about issues like McCarthyism and civil rights. Silents were shaped by the Great Depression when millions of Americans lost their jobs.
Generation Z
They are colloquially known as "zoomers", which surprisingly was not coined after Zoom, the video chat service, but instead is a play on the term 'boomers' and refers to the fast-paced nature of Gen Z's upbringing, amidst the explosion of technology and culture.
Inflation is the top problem Gen Z and Millennials name as the biggest they are facing today. Over-dependence and addiction to technology ranked second as the top problem among young people for the first time. However, racism and COVID-19 are still top concerns for these gens.
According to respondents, the reason they feel Gen Z is difficult to work with is because they lack technological skills, effort and motivation. But those shortcomings hint to deeper, more convoluted issues that date back to the pandemic.
What age is stress most common? According to the American Psychological Association (APA), people in the 18-33 age group suffer the highest levels of stress in the U.S.
Gen Z: Gen Z is the newest generation, born between 1997 and 2012. They are currently between 9 and 24 years old (nearly 68 million in the U.S.)