What’s stressing out Gen Z, and how they are coping with it

YOUNG people are facing a new crisis: their mental health may be the worst it’s ever been.

Some members of a certain older generation (I am not naming names, but it starts with "b" and ends in "oomer") think this is simple over-sensitivity. However, the numbers don’t lie: a survey by digital health service platform Naluri conducted across South East Asia and Hong Kong found that 66 per cent of Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) were at high risk of mental health struggles. That’s in comparison to 48 per cent of Millenials and 28 per cent of Gen X.

The trend is similar globally — in the US, youth suicide rose by a worrying 62 per cent between 2007 and 2021. Forty-two per cent of young Americans have a diagnosed mental health condition (the most common being anxiety and depression) according to healthcare data management company Harmony Healthcare IT.

But, the numbers don’t tell the whole story. Let’s look at what Zoomers themselves have to say.

Things (might be) falling apart

Climate change, war, violence, political polarisation — information about the wider world is easier to access than it has ever been. Unfortunately, being always plugged in can come at a cost; nearly half of young adults get the feeling that “things are falling apart”.

If you think about it, this is no surprise. When a person receives constant updates about the war in Palestine, or about another mass-shooting in the US, it’s impossible not to feel empathy and sadness. Add to this the sad possibility that social media sites actually push negativity to get more engagement.

A 2013 study by China's Beihang University, for instance, found that angry posts were by far the most likely to go viral.

No one knows where to go

I’m not talking about a lack of ambition. Zoomers report a lack of direction because they don’t believe they can make a difference. Dutch psyciatrist Bessel van der Kolk, 81, an expert in post-traumatic stress research, compares this to the past.

“[The Silent Generation] were extremely hopeful and thought we could change the world... Kids today have much less of a vision of being able to make a significant difference. Climate change is a gigantic issue... and very little is being done.”

The odds are against us

Let’s be realistic: in some ways, life’s a lot harder than it used to be.

Journalist Jennifer Breheny Wallace notes that many parents would not be able to live up to the expectations they have for their own kids. “Life was generally more affordable [in the 70s or 80s],” she writes.

“There was more slack in the system... When my husband and I both went to Harvard, the acceptance rate was 18 per cent. Now it’s 3 per cent.”

The majority of Zoomers, according to a 2022 Harvard study, say their major concern for the future is being able to live comfortably. Deloitte found more than 60 per cent of Gen Zs (and Millennials) worry about finding jobs unless the economy improves, which they doubt will happen.

More than half (higher than the global average) think it will be impossible to reach social milestones like buying a home or starting a family.

Finding the silver lining

Are the youth doomed? According to evidence: not at all.

Put aside the talk of over-sensitivity for a second. Consider this: one reason that Gen Z is more likely to report mental health issues is because they are better informed.

Traits like ‘laziness’ and ‘disorganisation’ are sometimes just symptoms of underlying mental health issues, which Zoomers seem to be better able to spot. Because of this, they’re usually more willing to seek help, rather than resigning themselves to suffer in silence (83 per cent, says Harmony Health IT, are willing to talk honestly about their mental health).

Despite the pessimism, Zoomers seem willing to try. They’ve already sidestepped some problems that plagued previous generations (such as teen pregnancy and excessive alcohol consumption).

Now, they’re pushing for better working conditions, according to Deloitte, and, continue to care about the planet. Seventy-one per cent of Gen Zs and Millennials worry about climate change, and more than half of respondents say they look up a company’s sustainability before even considering working with them.

The fact is that young people face problems that no one was prepared for. Whether these problems are better or worse than before isn’t really the issue; the issue is that today’s world is volatile, strange and complex. All of us, young and old, are figuring life out on the fly.

Thankfully, despite accusations of being fragile, it seems Gen Z are very much on the right track.