Ideas

Why Are Young People Everywhere So Unhappy?

Here’s the answer to that - and what we can do about it.

First published in The Atlantic on May 1, 2025

By Arthur C. Brooks

May 22, 2025 | reading time: 6 Min.

We’ve heard a lot lately about how miserable young Americans are. In the recently released World Happiness Report, the United States dropped to its lowest ranking since that survey began—and that result was driven by the unhappiness of people under 30 in this country. So what’s going on?