"It shows up in songs, films, ads, social-media posts-but it says more about Americans' idealization of youth than it does about what it actually feels like to be young today. The 2024 World Happiness Report found that when American adults were asked to rate the extent to which they were living their "best possible life," those over 60 answered the most positively, followed by 45-to-59-year-olds. People younger than 30 trailed behind."
"For 25 years, I've worked as a developmental clinical psychologist specializing in 20-somethings. Often, when I tell people about my work, their responses are dismissive or confused. They wonder what young people-without the challenges of partners or kids or mortgages or aging bodies-could be so unhappy about. But 20-somethings are the least likely group to have the things that make people happy and healthy: secure homes and careers, stable love lives and friendships."
Cultural belief that the 20s are the best years reflects idealization of youth rather than lived experience. Survey data show adults over 60 report higher life satisfaction than people under 30. Many young adults lack secure homes, careers, and stable relationships, and they encounter numerous firsts and setbacks with jobs, bosses, relationships, breakups, roommates, and apartments. Rates of depression and anxiety among 20-somethings rose during the early coronavirus pandemic, and young adults have long been more likely than older adults to struggle with mental health. Adult sources of stability are increasingly realized in the 30s.
Read at The Atlantic
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