The kids are (not) alright
It’s easy to blame smartphones and social media for all manner of terrible things. You may have seen the recent frenzy of headlines blaming tech for ‘destroying’ teen mental health. But, as we explained in World Happiness Report 2024 – and as is so often the case – the truth is more complex.
Our analyses confirmed that young people in certain regions of the world are less happy than before. That’s especially true in the US, Canada, and many Western European nations. I even described an ‘early mid-life crisis’ among those facing the most drastic drops.
However (and here’s the good news), that’s not the case everywhere. There are positive happiness trends among under-30s in Sub-Saharan Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia. Wellbeing in these parts of the world started lower of course but it is encouraging to see them converging towards global averages.
These contrasting global trends suggest that smartphones and social media can’t be the sole reason for declines in young people’s wellbeing, although that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be doing more to protect our children.
To extend a phrase from US Surgeon General, Dr Vivek Murthy, using social media in 2024 is like driving an early automobile without airbags, or seatbelts. We now need to work out the equivalent of social media seatbelts and make sure to implement them.
Prof Jan-Emmanuel De Neve
Editor, World Happiness Report
Recommended reading
The best analysis, hand-picked by our editors
The kids are (not) alright
Inspired by Jonathan Haidt’s new book, The Anxious Generation, Vox took a deep dive into the evidence on the impact of social media on teens’ mental health.
A complex truth
Smartphones and related tech are just one of many factors driving changes in young people’s wellbeing, writes David Wallace Wells in The New York Times (requires subscription).
Beaming in the Baltics
In an extended feature for The Guardian, Kate McCusker talks to John Helliwell and takes a trip to Vilnius to find out why Lithuania is the best place in the world to be young.
Watch and listen
Some of our editors’ favourite video, podcasts and more
Driving without seatbelts
Dr Vivek Murthy shared his thoughts on social media use in 2024 – and the need for legislation – in a wide-ranging conversation with Lord Richard Layard.
The secret to national happiness?
Lara Aknin joined APA’s Speaking of Psychology podcast to discuss why being generous makes people happy – even when they don’t have much to spare.
How to make Gen Z happy again
Jan-Emmanuel De Neve appeared on The Happiness Lab podcast to explain how we might start to reverse a gloomy trend.