Generation Z (Gen Z), followed closely by Millennials, consistently report the highest levels of anxiety, with studies showing they experience significant stress from financial uncertainty, climate change, social media pressures, and the lingering effects of the pandemic, leading to more frequent symptoms of anxiety and depression than older generations like Gen X and Boomers.
According to professors who teach Gen Zers, the generation appears even more anxious than their Millennial counterparts and has completely lost hope in the American Dream. Gen Z also reports the poorest mental health of any generation, and only 44 percent of Gen Zers say they feel prepared for the future.
The American Psychological Association (APA) states that Gen Z individuals are more likely to report mental health concerns (eg, depression and anxiety) than previous generations [8]. In a 2022 survey of 1055 Gen Z adults, 1 out of 4 reported having more bad days than good within a 1-month time frame.
Anxiety disorders (which may involve panic or excessive worry) are the most prevalent in this age group and are more common among older than among younger adolescents. It is estimated that 4.1% of 10–14-year-olds and 5.3% of 15–19-year-olds experience an anxiety disorder (1).
Gen X is the 'most stressed' generation but studies show they're also the toughest. It's official: People are more stressed out than ever. Technology, a wildly unpredictable economy, political division, and changing family dynamics have us all on edge, and it's doing a number on our mental health.
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.
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and millennials may use the 😂 emoji, this has long since been deemed 'uncool' (or 'cheugy') by Gen Z. Instead, this has been replaced by the skull (💀) or the crying emoji (😭), dramatising the idea of 'dying with laughter'.
The observed age pattern for daily stress was remarkably strong: stress was relatively high from age 20 through 50, followed by a precipitous decline through age 70 and beyond.
Anxiety is something that's commonly associated with women – many are open about it, and indeed, they are twice as likely as men to get it.
Recent research shows that members of the Baby Boomer generation have worse health than previous generations did at the same ages—diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illnesses are more common.
Age and generation both matter for happiness. As between generations, those born before 1965 (Boomers and their predecessors) have life evaluations about one-quarter of a point higher than those born after 1980 (Millennials and Gen Z).
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.
Gen Z, born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, is often characterized as the most emotionally aware generation in the workforce. Arguably, they're more adept at recognizing and articulating their feelings.
Doechii, the winner of the best rap album award at the 2025 Grammys, is behind the song that sparked the trend taking over TikTok. A new TikTok trend is bringing pangs of nostalgia to the internet as people bring back an iconic '90s dance.
Taylor Swift may be one of the biggest pop stars on the globe, but she's also been strikingly honest about her mental health struggles. From eating disorders to the pressures of fame, from alcohol use to anxiety, Swift has given fans entrance ticket into her inner world.
A big event or a buildup of smaller stressful life situations may trigger excessive anxiety — for example, a death in the family, work stress or ongoing worry about finances. Personality. People with certain personality types are more prone to anxiety disorders than others are. Other mental health disorders.
In response to certain life events and situations, most people experience short spells of anxiety, however, for people living with an anxiety disorder, this feeling can last for some time. If the anxiety you feel is persistent and overwhelming, impacting your day-to-day life, it is less likely that it will just pass.
Surprising Science: The 2 Ages When People Are Happiest
According to a study by the London School of Economics and Political Science, happiness tends to peak not once, but twice in life: first at age 23, and again at age 69. Yes—69!
In it, he talks about how the ages of 22–42 are statistically the most unhappy period in life. Why? People come out of their early 20s and think life is supposed to be easy, but it's not. Those two decades are full of challenges.
Quality of life increases from 50 years (CASP‐19 score 44.4) to peak at 68 years (CASP‐19 score 47.7). From there it gradually starts to decline, reaching the same level as at 50 years by 86 years. By 100 years, CASP‐19 score has declined to 37.3.
“Can't lie” “Can't lie” falls under the same umbrella as slang terms like NGL (not gonna lie) and TBH (to be honest). The 🆑 emoji is perfect to use when you're trying to keep things unfiltered and brutally honest.
The sequence "🗣🗣🗣🔥🔥🔥" means someone is enthusiastically talking about something amazing, excellent, or "lit," using the speaking heads to show they're voicing strong opinions and the fire emojis to emphasize how impressive, attractive, or exciting it is. It conveys intense approval or passion about a topic being discussed.
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").