In recent years, numerous studies have confirmed that Generation Z young people experience higher levels of anxiety and distress than previous generations. According to the latest edition of Eumetra’s Wellbeing and Sustainability Observatory, 35% of GenZ young people report high levels of anxiety, a percentage more than 10 points higher than that of Millennials (23%), almost double that of GenX (17%) and even three times higher than that of Boomers (11%).
Overall state of anxiety
Source: Wellbeing and Sustainability, Eumetra, 2024, % values
Main causes of young people’s discomfort
But what are the causes of this growing unease? The main factors are the feeling of never being able to live up to the expectations of others, the need to achieve the most in a given timeframe with the fear of failure, the fear of missing out (FOMO) and excessive exposure to a bombardment of often contradictory information.
A particularly critical aspect of this scenario is the increase in social withdrawal among adolescents, as shown by the analysis carried out by the CNR-Irpps Research Group ‘Social Changes, Assessment and Methods’ (MUSA). The study, based on a national sample of more than 7,500 adolescents aged between 14 and 19, shows that the percentage of young people who no longer meet their friends outside school has almost doubled since the pandemic, rising from 5.6% in 2019 to 9.7% in 2022. This phenomenon, published in the journal Scientific Reports (the full article can be found here), highlights how social isolation has become a serious and persistent problem, linked to relational and psychological factors, including the hyper-connectedness of social media, which is gradually undermining the quality of social interactions and individual psychological well-being.
However, in order to understand this phenomenon, it is important to consider that, although there are differences within Generation Z, their value system is based on two fundamental axes:
- Relationship with others: In the “ON LIFE” era described by Luciano Floridi, where the physical and digital worlds are intertwined, managing relationships is more complex than in the past.
- Assertiveness: GenZ are no less ambitious than previous generations, but their educational and career aspirations are different.
Vision of the future
This complexity is also reflected in their view of the future. According to the Eumetra GenZ Observatory, conducted in Italy, France, Germany, the UK and Spain, the average score for optimism about the future is below 7, with more than 40% of young people having a negative view. In Spain and Germany, the score rises slightly above 7 due to a higher proportion of responses between 9 and 10.
Optimism toward the future
Source: Generation Z: brand image and value, Eumetra, 2021, % values
The psychological well-being of GenZ is therefore a priority challenge for society and for companies that want to understand and support the new generations. Investing in more flexible training paths, stimulating work environments and inclusive social spaces could be the key to helping young people build a calmer and more sustainable future.
→ Would you like to delve deeper into this data and discover how our research can help you better understand GenZ from a European perspective? Contact us to receive a presentation of the new edition of the GenZ research, soon to be launched, focusing on the following countries Italy, France, Germany, Spain and the UK.