By Aditi Roy

The optimism once associated with young adulthood is fading in Canada. According to the 2024 World Happiness Report, Canadians aged under 30 rank below older age groups in overall life satisfaction, a reversal of the traditional “U-shaped” pattern in which happiness dips in midlife and rises again later.

A more recent study published in August in the Journal of the Public Library of Science reports the same trend across more than 40 countries, where young people now experience the highest level of unhappiness, while older adults report the happiest. Research suggests that economic and social pressure, such as rising living costs, insecure employment and weakening social connections, are key factors behind the pressure many young Canadians may experience. 

“Adulthood comes with stress you don’t really see coming”

At Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), students say those numbers mirror what they feel every day. Ali Abdool Rassool, a second-year mechanical engineering student, describes scrolling through videos on social media about climate change, war, elections and job offers that heighten the pressure to keep up. 

“It’s like, I need to get this degree done, find a job, and move on. Adulthood comes with stress you don’t really see coming,” Rassool said.

Rassool isn’t alone in his apprehension. Statistics Canada reports indicate that this decline began in 2021, with young adults aged 18 to 24 consistently rating their life satisfaction below older cohorts. The report in September notes that among young adults, fewer than four in 10 are highly satisfied with their lives, down from nearly half in 2021.

Rafael Gomez, director of the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources at the University of Toronto, said the reversal breaks a decades-long pattern that research once considered fixed.

“…it feels like I’m lagging behind”

“We used to think the U-curve was a fixed life-cycle feature…youngest happiest, midlife lowest, older happier again. Over the last five years, that [left side of the U-curve] has collapsed,” he said. 

He adds that the life cycle we once knew shifted in its totality, perhaps “forever young” isn’t the goal anymore among Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

Gomez attributes part of the shift to the loss of direct social interactions as online life expands. He cited American psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s 2024 book The Anxious Generation, which argues that smartphones have “rewired” childhood development and contributed to rising anxiety. 

Kanika Dhingra, a third-year creative industries student, notes the role of social media in the anxiety she faces on a day-to-day basis. “When I open Instagram or LinkedIn, I see everyone having fun or doing great things and it feels like I’m lagging behind,” Dhingra said. 

Gomez sees the rise in this comparative dynamic among the young. “Comparisons used to be local—now students measure themselves against influencers with millions of followers; that breeds inferiority,” he said.

Health Infobase Canada reports that “from 2015 to 2021, positive mental health decreased among those aged 12 to 25, while mental illness increased.”

However, financial stress and economic stability remain the dominant factor. Statistics Canada reports the number of Canadians facing financial difficulties jumped from 18.6 per cent in 2021 to 32.8 per cent in 2024, a 76 per cent increase over three years. Nearly one-third of those struggling rely on credit to cover daily expenses. 

Rassool feels the financial burden of being a student every day. “Student loans are my biggest financial stress right now. I don’t have an immediate plan to pay them off—hopefully co-op helps,” he said. 

First-year politics and governance student Daniel Shafiq expressed high rents make independence unrealistic, demotivating him. “Most of my friends have given up on it. It’s just simpler to live with your parents—there’s not much incentive to move out,” Shafiq said.

Shafiq added that he witnessed a 30-year-old relative recently move back home and claims that independence in Toronto is unachievable, despite having a well-paying job. He said this situation is one of the reasons he avoids thinking too far ahead.

“They’re highly educated, highly networked, but disconnected from tangible opportunity”

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation data shows that rent in major cities such as Toronto and Vancouver have risen faster than wages for five consecutive years. 

Gomez said the post-pandemic labour policies compounded the problem. “Coming out of the pandemic, entry-level shortages could have benefited young people—higher-paying openings in retail and hospitality,” he said. “Instead, policy opened the door widely to temporary foreign workers to fill those entry-level roles. That made it harder for youth to access their first jobs.”

Gomez said many young people entering the job market feel increasingly disillusioned and nihilistic. “They’re highly educated, highly networked, but disconnected from tangible opportunity…and that gap breeds disillusionment,” he said.

“The promise that higher education guarantees upward mobility is fading”

Kanika shared her frustration about the state of affordability. She notes that many people around her age aren’t even considering pursuing milestones like marriage, saying, “They don’t have the means yet to live that comfortable life with a family.”

Gomez pointed to the structural changes that have occurred. “We’ve built an economy where the entry points are narrowing,” he said. “The promise that higher education guarantees upward mobility is fading.” 

Rising costs, alarmist news and economic uncertainty are worsening young Canadians’ mental health. A recent study found that 61 per cent of Canadians blame the rising cost of living as the main driver for mental health issues among youth. 

Gomez explains the solution goes beyond economics; it requires giving young people a renewed sense of purpose. “Purpose, autonomy, and mastery provide young people concrete ways to act and real pathways to contribution—and you’ll see happiness rebound,” he said.