Depression in millennials has been linked to many factors. There is some evidence indicating that social media could play a major role, however, there are many other factors that could contribute as well including nutrition and education, and even how you were parented.
Whether it's financial debt, consumption of social media, always connected work environments or heavier workloads with fewer resources, there are many different factors that may cause higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression in millennials compared to past generations.
More importantly, these worries indicate just how concerned they are about what's coming next—about making the right choices today in order to ensure a stable future. In truth, decision-making itself may be the number-one reason why millennials are so depressed and anxious, and why they feel the need for psychotherapy.
Gen Z (42%) is about twice as likely as Americans over 25 (23%) to battle depression and feelings of hopelessness.
Why Is Generation Z So Depressed? Gen Z faces chronic stress from many factors including school shootings, student debt, joblessness and even politics. Technology plays a role, too. Growing up in a hyper-connected world can evoke intense feelings of isolation and loneliness in some youth.
The younger generation has powered through a lot of upheaval in their short lives but it's taken a toll on their mental health. A new survey finds that an astounding 42 percent of those born between 1990 and 2010 – Gen Z – have been diagnosed with a mental health condition.
According to Cigna International Health's 2023 survey of almost 12,000 workers around the world, 91% of 18-to-24-year-olds report being stressed – compared to 84% on average. Research indicates Gen Z are emerging as the most stressed demographic in the workplace, and struggling mightily to cope.
Doing so may reveal why millennials are the happiest generation—like, ever. Their secret? Taking care of themselves. And that goes for mind, body, and spirit, experts say.
And a survey of 600 individuals found that Gen Z is the most unhappy generation at work. 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.
The Greatest Generation refers to those Americans born between 1900 and 1925, many of whom fought during World War II. These individuals grew up during WWI and lived through the Great Depression and are often the parents of the Baby Boomer generation.
So, millennials tend to have very positive views of themselves and are very optimistic about their expectations for their lives and they're more likely to say that they're above average compared to their peers and they tend to score higher on other measures of positive self-views, like self-esteem and even narcissism.
Overthinking is often caused by procrastination. If you put a time constraint to every decision you have to make, time will enforce the right pressure to let you make a decision.
Millennials are considered one of the most anxious generations, which can often be attributed to exams, future uncertainty and the stress that comes with trying to fit into a social media-driven world. In fact, social media use has been linked with increased rates of depression and poor sleep.
ADHD is often diagnosed in childhood, but about 4% of adults also deal with it. Among adults, Millennials have the highest rate of ADHD, and that is growing.
Through this investigation, it is in fact that anxiety rates are on the rise for Generation Z and Millennials caused by the media and personal stressors which then leading to higher depression rates and stress levels.
New studies suggest Generation Z is now the loneliest generation, and experts say we're in the middle of a loneliness epidemic. Our generation is statistically experiencing more feelings of isolation, getting married later and having less sex.
Among a group of Gen Z respondents, 25% described feeling more emotionally distressed, which almost doubled the stress levels reported by millennials and Gen X, according to a report by Mckinsey and Company. Karen Hofmann, director of CAPS, started working with college students 25 years ago.
GEN Z: REDEFINING HYPER-SENSITIVITY
Being sensitive simply means as a generation, Gen Z are more tuned into human emotions and more determined to take everyone's feelings into consideration.
Unlike the previous generation who had fought for "changing the system," the Silent Generation were about "working within the system." They did this by keeping their heads down and working hard, thus earning themselves the "silent" label. Their attitudes leaned toward not being risk-takers and playing it safe.
Gen Z is also the smartest and best educated generation. Having an unlimited wealth of information at our disposal has not gone to waste. In America, 57 percent of Gen Z is reported to have enrolled in a two-year or four-year college, compared to 52 percent of Millenials and 43 percent of Gen X.
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.
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.
Common complaints with older generations about millennials in the workplace are that they're whiny, entitled, and require too much nurturing. With that being said, millennials do desire engagement from their employers. However, leaders shouldn't mistake this for being too needy.
Compared to older generations, they strive for self-realization instead of looking for happiness in another person. They're also more likely to believe you're meant to love many times instead of thinking one partner can fulfill all your needs within a lifetime. And that's one of the most toxic beliefs our society has.