A new study finds that Generation Z is suffering in all areas of life, experiencing a sharp decline in mental and physical health, financial and social status, and is experiencing an early midlife crisis.
Gen Z’s “overall health” has declined 6% since the previous year. Overall health in this context is defined as a combination of mental and physical health, financial and social well-being.
The study, known as the “Study of Trends in Benefits Provided to Employees,” was conducted by the insurance company MetLife in the United States of America, and Newsweek magazine wrote about it. The study was conducted last September and will be published in March 2025.
Generation Z and those before them
Generation Z includes people born between 1997 and 2012, which means that the oldest member of Generation Z will be 28 years old this year, and the youngest will be 13 years old, while Millennials were born between 1981 and 1996, and Generation 1965 and 1980, and the baby boomers between 1946 And 1964.
“Gen Z is not necessarily in good shape,” Todd Katz, executive vice president of the benefits group at MetLife, told InsuranceNewsNet. “Our study showed that overall health for all age groups of employees has declined slightly, but it has decreased more for Gen Z.” .
Only 31% of Gen Z employees felt healthy according to the study, which represents a 6% decrease from 2024 and 10% less than the average employee. 41% of Millennials and Gen 57% of baby boomers.
The study also reveals that 46% of Generation Z felt stressed, 35% felt depressed, 44% felt exhausted, and 30% felt isolated.
Compared to workers ages 21 to 25 in 2018, Gen Zers today feel 11% more stressed, 9% more burned out, 8% less happy, and 5% less successful.
Katz suggests that much of this may be related to financial concerns. “They attribute a lot of it to their financial burdens,” he said. “These people are trying to save money for major life expenses.”
Another study found that 60% of Gen Z women and 45% of Gen Z men were concerned that the high cost of living might pose an obstacle to their financial security in the future.
Midlife crisis before its middle age
Compared to the previous year, Generation Z also reported an 8% decline in financial situation. These results support another survey conducted late last year, which found that 38% of Generation Z participants said they were experiencing a “midlife crisis.” 30 said % of Generation Z individuals participating in the study said financial issues were their primary source of stress.
The midlife crisis is a condition that people go through in their forties, in which they feel that the achievements they have achieved in their lives are few or that they have not been able to reach their dreams. The irony here is that Generation Z has not yet reached the age of forty, but many of its members say that they are experiencing a midlife crisis. This indicates the great pressure they face, under which they do not feel that they have accomplished anything.