3 of 4: Emotional State: less confident and more anxious

6 July 2021

Gen Z’s feel lonelier and significantly less happy compared with older generations. They lack confidence and are more dissatisfied with their lives, too. Perhaps this is unsurprising, given the pressures they are under. High growth in graduate numbers has  intensified competition for good jobs. And the fear of failure gnawing away at them is often exacerbated by what we might call ‘Insta anxiety’ – stressful feelings of inadequacy triggered by peers presenting unrealistic versions of  themselves and their lifestyles online.

They are also more concerned than older generations about a range of issues. From poverty to mental health, from the environment to social inequality – they care. But thinking about these big issues also adds to their worries.

The negative emotional state of Gen Z is not only challenging for them to live with, but also a strategic challenge for the companies that need them to be healthy, happy and motivated consumers, students and employees.

Recognising this, ITV2 launched a landmark partnership with mental health charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) earlier this year, with the aim of helping 1 million young people take action to build their mental health and feel better able to cope with life’s ups and downs. 

While our own #keepconnected programme with Sky, reached 3m+ young people, to give them a voice when they were most at risk of being forgotten.

Is there an idea or something in development that could enable you to support young people’s emotional state?