Report finds falling happiness among youth of North America and western Europe, but rise in sub-Saharan Africa and eastern Europe

Young people are becoming less happy than older generations as they suffer “the equivalent of a midlife crisis”, global research has revealed as America’s top doctor warned that “young people are really struggling”.

Dr Vivek Murthy, the US surgeon general, said allowing children to use social media was like giving them medicine that is not proven to be safe. He said the failure of governments to better regulate social media in recent years was “insane”.

Murthy spoke to the Guardian as new data revealed that young people across North America were now less happy than their elders, with the same “historic” shift expected to follow in western Europe.

Declining wellbeing among under-30s has driven the US out of the top 20 list of happiest nations, the 2024 World Happiness Report revealed.

  • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
    65·
    8 months ago

    As late as 1980, a high school graduate could be self supporting the minute they turned 18. A minimum wage job could support a studio apartment and pay for some luxuries while putting a few dollars in the bank

    Of course people were happier when they felt like they were in control of their lives.

    • 5oap10116@lemmy.world
      14·
      8 months ago

      My wife and I make over 175K together, live modestly, and can’t make finances work to have a child and not go broke.

          • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
            2·
            8 months ago

            Sorry, but people were buying houses and raising families in New York and San Francisco for a long time.

            A quick check shows that a two bedroom apartment in Manhattan [not the cheaper outer boroughs] circa 1960 would be about $200.00./month.

            In 1960, minimum wage was $1.00/hour and the cost of the average US home was $11,000.00.

            Current prices are insane.