When they look to the future, Gen Zers hope above all to earn enough money to be able to live comfortably. Photo: AFP
From inflation and the climate crisis to unemployment and the pandemic, Gen Z – born between 1997 and 2011 – faces significant and sometimes unprecedented challenges and obstacles as its members enter the world of work, and their adult lives.
It’s a complex time, and one that’s not unrelated to the deteriorating mental health of this young generation, although a new report shows fresh optimism among young people when looking to the future.
Studies on young people’s mental health are consistent in reporting that it is steadily deteriorating, in line with the multiple stress factors facing this group, from digital challenges and economic insecurity to social pressure and environmental concerns. In a report dating from November 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that one in seven young people aged 10 to 19 worldwide experience mental health conditions, leaving them “particularly vulnerable to social exclusion, discrimination, stigma (affecting readiness to seek help), educational difficulties, risk-taking behaviours, physical ill-health and human rights violations.”
All these negative effects prevent this young generation from getting themselves into the best possible position to prepare for the future and face the present.
The latest report from Gallup and Walton Family Foundation looked into the well-being of this generation, the problems it faces, and its future prospects, by interviewing over 3,000 young people aged 12 to 26 in the United States. And the findings are mixed.
While only a relatively small proportion claim to be doing well, or to enjoy “excellent” mental health, that doesn’t mean this generation, on the whole, is not optimistic about the future, which they hope will be far more prosperous.
Among the key findings, only 47% of this generation were found to be thriving in their lives, one of the lowest rates among all generations (59% for Millennials, 57% for Gen Xers). Only the Silent Generation seems to feel less prosperous, with just 45% of those surveyed reported to be thriving.
Interestingly, the study authors compared the state of mind of Generation Z with that of Millennials at the same age, to determine whether this lack of fulfillment is linked, or not, to a specific life stage.
They found that 59% and 60% of Millennials aged 18 to 26 were reported to be thriving in life in 2009 and 2014, respectively, when they were the same age as today’s Gen Zers, while in 2023, only 41% of 18- to 26-year-old Gen Z adults are thriving.
The same is true when looking at the mental and emotional well-being of this young generation, which is well below that of their older counterparts.
In 2023, only 15% of Gen Zers aged 18 to 26 consider their mental health to be “excellent”, compared with 52% of current Millennials of the same age a decade ago.
Aware of the problems they face, whatever their nature, members of Generation Z are nonetheless optimistic, on the whole, about their future. Two-thirds of them believe, for example, that they will be able to land their dream job, while over three-quarters (76%) believe they have a bright future ahead of them. The proportion even rises to 82% when asked if they think they’ll be able to achieve their goals. So much for a disillusioned generation!
Young people’s prospects don’t seem in any way undermined by the challenges they are currently grappling with – or almost. However, on the downside, just over four in 10 Gen Zers (44%) say they feel prepared for the future (48% among respondents aged 22 to 26).
When they look to the future, Gen Zers hope above all to earn enough money to be able to live comfortably. This is one of their main concerns for the future (69% hold this hope), ahead of getting married or finding a life partner (35%), combining personal passions with work (33%), buying a house (32%), or having a positive influence on the world, or at least on their community (31%).
Despite this, the survey results show that these young people are concerned about their financial situation in the future. Indeed, they see financial resources as an obstacle to achieving their professional goals, and more specifically, to one of the paths they hope to take in the future (64%).
The results of this report are based on a Gallup Panel online survey, conducted from April 24 to May 8, 2023, among a sample of 3,114 young people aged 12 to 26 living in the United States (50 states plus the District of Columbia). The full report is available via: gallup.com. – AFP
