Anxiety causes: online time, finances, current events, climate change. A highly connected world, climate change, a global pandemic that's impacting job security, and financial debt are some main causes of increased anxiety, stress, and depression among Gen Zers.
Haidt follows the same tired declension narrative that his rhetorical forebearers did. He builds his generation's version in part on the increase of reported incidents of depression and anxiety among Gen-Zers, which he attributes to overbearing parenting and too much time on social media.
For Gen Zs who spent a lot of time in lockdowns (as most people did), they've missed the opportunity to socialise and get comfortable with meeting people and making new friends. Social media use is high for Gen Zs, and rose during the socially-isolated periods, because it was the only way to stay connected.
While Gen Z tends to report worse mental health, the underlying cause is not clear. There are several age-specific factors that may impact Gen Z's mental health independent of their generational cohort, including developmental stage, level of engagement with healthcare, and familial or societal attitudes.
So it's no surprise recent studies have declared millennials, especially women, the most anxious generation in history. Anxiety comes in many forms, but the simplest way to describe it is feeling worried or nervous about the future or uncertain situations.
Students fear a lack of finances and fulfilment
The greatest fears for Generation Z centre on not achieving their hopes and dreams for the future.
Members of Generation Z report higher rates of depression and a number of other mental health conditions than do generations before them. At the same time, they are more likely than previous generations to report these problems, positioning those who seek help in a place to receive it.
Results from a recent Australian National Youth Mental Health Survey taken in 2020 -2021 showed Gen Zer's are reporting the highest rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, stress, loneliness, unemployment, housing stress, educational disruption, eating disorders, substance abuse, and social anxiety, in history.
Social media and technology use are major contributors to Gen Z depression. While technology has many advantages, it can also be a source of anxiety and stress. Excessive social media use has been linked to feelings of loneliness, low self-esteem, and depression, according to research.
Money and work are also on the laundry list of stressors for Zoomers. APA's research also discovered more than 81% of their Gen-Z participants reported money as a source of significant stress.
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.
That perhaps has to do with the fact that the youngest generation in the workforce have only just entered it and are therefore more likely to hold entry-level positions. Mental health aspects may also be at play. According to the Mental Health Million Project, Gen Z has the lowest rates of overall mental wellness.
Why Is Anxiety So Common in America? What Changed? Unfortunately, no one seems to have an exact answer as to why anxiety is so common, but many attribute this presumed increase in anxiety disorders to factors such as social media, poor sleep habits, lowered stigma, and underreporting in the past.
One in four Gen Z respondents reported feeling more emotionally distressed (25 percent), almost double the levels reported by millennial and Gen X respondents (13 percent each), and more than triple the levels reported by baby boomer respondents (8 percent).
Managers said they struggle with Generation Z workers for other reasons: Lack of motivation. Lack of productivity. Poor communication skills. Short attention span.
Believe it or not (we're looking at you, boomer), Gen Zs actually love going outside. Almost half (44%) of Gen Zs like to head outdoors – into nature or to the beach – to de-stress and relax. For a quarter of Gen Zs (24%) bushwalking is their go-to, with 7% saying they feel refreshed after a good surf sesh.
e' Gen Z Workers, are actually the Happiest and Hardest Working Generation, say Researchers.
Over 40% of Gen Zers have been diagnosed with a mental health condition. Gen Zers have conflicting opinions when it comes to social media's impact on their mental health. Some Gen Zers will step away from social media when it becomes overwhelming. Gen Zers are more likely than other generations to seek therapy.
Among the findings: Gen Z (42%) is about twice as likely as Americans over 25 (23%) to battle depression and feelings of hopelessness.
Generation Z (or Gen Z or Zoomers), the generation that succeeds Generation Y (or Gen Y or millennials), is currently more aware of mental health than any other generation. While this sounds like good news, there are negative aspects as well.
an estimated 1 in 4 (26% or 671,100) experienced at least 1 mental disorder in the preceding 12 months. anxiety disorders were the most commonly reported disorder for all young people overall (15%) followed by substance use disorders (13%) and affective disorders (6%).
Coping With Obesity
If Gen Z's historically high child and teen obesity rate continues unchanged, 77 percent of men and 61 percent of women in the demographic will be obese by adulthood. One of the major reasons is that kids are not as active as older generations were.
Just 59% of Gen Z workers are happy, compared to 69% for Baby Boomers and 76% for Millennials and Gen X. In addition, 9% of Baby Boomers are unhappy at work, compared to 26% of Gen Z and 13% for Gen X and Millennials. It is not a surprise that this unhappiness is pushing Gen Z to think about quitting their job.
Baby boomers have the highest household net worth of any US generation. Defined by the Federal Reserve as being born between 1946 and 1964 (currently in the ages between 59 and 77), baby boomers are in often in the sunset of their career or early into retirement.