Happiness, once thought to follow a U-shaped curve, is no longer the case. A new research paper from the United States-based National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) reveals a decline in life satisfaction and happiness among young adults in the last decade. Conducted across six English-speaking countries, the study found a correlation between increased internet usage and decreased happiness among younger generations. The rising use of smartphones and social media is the main driver of this unhappiness, with similar trends observed in countries across the world including the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Other factors such as economic hardships and loneliness also play a role. The authors of the study suggest that policymakers need further research to understand the causes of declining happiness among youth and advice on reversing this trend.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/7/why-are-young-adults-less-happy-than-ever-before?traffic_source=rss