Young people are a lot more miserable today, and the gadgets and Internet are blamed.

Young people are a lot more miserable today, and the gadgets and Internet are blamed: Traditionally, happiness is said to follow a curve, something like a "U" shape. It is mostly high in childhood, trailing off in middle age, and picks up again. But now, a new study says that this might no longer be the case: The happiness levels of the young have somehow not exhibited the same trend as before. An analysis conducted in six English-speaking countries shows a much lower level of happiness amongst the young than previous generations. 

A paper published by The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), a UN-supervised study, has concluded that in the last decade, the life satisfaction and happiness levels of young people have been gradually dropping. The study was carried out by Tomenge, a psychologist at San Diego State University, and Blanchflower, an economist at Dartmouth. The analysis looked at 11 surveys from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and the US.

Other studies in other countries reproduce the same results: the trend appears to be worldwide. Blanchflower and Twenge's study has thrown a spanner in the establishment idea of happiness and the "U-shaped" curve. Then, how big is the change? Why do young people seem so dissatisfied?

So the researchers say that it is most evident in 12- to 25-year-olds, as they experience high levels of depression and stress, which are not present in their younger years. On the other hand, the elderly experience more happiness as they grow older.

This dramatic shift has then raised concerns from researchers, as younger people are entering new challenges in a post-Covid world with digital technology and economic uncertainties posing new challenges to them. The study found a definite correlation between internet usage and diminished happiness levels. The experience of today's youth is very different from that of any previous generation because of the proliferation of smartphones and social networking sites.

In conversation with Al Jazeera, Blanchflower said, "The internet is the reason. There is no other explanation for this trend."

A 2024 survey by Pew Research Center found that 3 in 4 American teenagers reported being more happy or calm without their smartphone. A 2024 study from the UK reports British teenagers being the least happy in Europe. One of the main reasons, the researchers say, is social media.

Blanchflower's findings are compatible with those of other global studies. In fact, signs of increasing mental health problems in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America began at the increase of smartphone use among young people. NBER conducted a study in December 2024 on the mental health of young people in African countries, finding that more than half of the population in Africa has never used the internet. However, they had higher rates of mental health deterioration if they had.

The study said that there was probably poor shitty home-country-level-health among young people in Africa due to a lack of internet access. But more smartphones are being sold rapidly in Africa. The study also found that in various African countries, a "U-shaped" happiness curve could still be present among the youth, which may be strongly related to low internet use. 

Blanchflower said, "This is clearly a worldwide trend, especially for those linked with the internet." He said further that even middle-aged smartphone users are less happy than previous people of the same age.

But they cannot be blamed alone. The study also reported that economic uncertainty and loneliness may also be contributing causes of why happiness among young people has been on the decline. In that respect, the study stated “A number of cultural changes have had a negative impact on life satisfaction. These are lack of social cohabitation, overuse of social media, and increased income inequality.

The happiness of young people below 30 has plumbed to Smithereens as evidenced in the 2024 World Happiness Report, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic. The drop in the United States is so bad that it exits the top 20 countries on the happiness index for first time since 2012.

Study authors state that further study is needed in order to better understand why the happiness of young people is decreasing so that policy makers may take effective action. But Blanchflower is doubtful as to whether the trend can be reversed. “The problem lies in the fact that the well-being of young people is also . . . still deteriorating. Yet it’s spreading around the world,” he says. “Get off your phone and interact with people face to face” he advises.

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