From the rising cost of living and the difficulty of buying a home to school pressure, economic insecurity, and anxiety caused by climate change, young people in Europe face overlapping problems that amplify their uncertainty about the future.
Generation Z protests express not only individual grievances but also the frustration of a generation that feels decisions affecting their lives are made without their voices being sufficiently heard, according to an analysis by The Conversation.
Young people face an increasingly uncertain future. Although every generation goes through difficult periods during adolescence, the pressures felt by Generation Z — those born between 1997 and 2012 — are different and seem to affect more and more aspects of life.
From climate change and mental health issues to academic pressure, housing costs, job insecurity, and economic uncertainty, today’s youth must cope with a complex set of expectations.
To understand their frustrations, including those expressed through protests organized across Europe, it is necessary to look beyond individual experiences and analyze the social conditions that shape their lives.
Adolescence has long been considered a period of “storm and stress,” based on the belief that it represents a universal and inevitable stage of emotional turmoil, behavioral conflicts, and identity crises. In recent years, however, this perspective has increasingly been challenged.
Instead of being defined exclusively by difficulties and disruptive changes, adolescence is increasingly seen as a period of possibilities, opportunities, and growth. However, harnessing this potential largely depends on the social environment in which young people grow up.
An increasing body of evidence highlights adolescence as a crucial developmental stage with profound implications for future health and well-being. It is also increasingly recognized that adolescence extends beyond the teenage years, continuing until around age 20 and even later.
Growing up under pressure
Currently, young people grow up under intense pressures that often overlap to a greater extent than in previous generations. Data from the World Health Organization’s study on health behaviors of school-aged children suggest that school-related pressure has increased in many countries between 2002 and 2022.
In 2022, nearly two-thirds of 15-year-old girls reported feeling pressured by school workload, compared to less than half of boys. The same research identified a decline in perceived support from family and peers.
In other words, young people seem to face increasing demands while some of the social resources that could help them cope are weakening.
In many contexts, parental expectations and criticisms have also intensified.
Success is increasingly portrayed as an individual responsibility, while educational pathways have become more competitive.
At the same time, social networks can amplify the tendency to compare oneself with others, subjecting young people’s achievements, physical appearance, and lifestyle to constant public evaluation. For many, there are few moments of respite from the pressure to perform.
Economic problems add a new level of pressure. Rising living costs, high expenses for higher education, and uncertainty about the professional future are among young people’s main concerns.
At the European Union level, 40% of young people are very worried about rising prices and the cost of living. In 2026, national surveys show that about 70% of Irish teenagers are considering emigrating to benefit from better living conditions. In the Netherlands, over 20% of secondary school students fear they will never be able to afford to buy a home.
A warming planet and an uncertain future
Today’s youth grow up amid an increasingly visible climate crisis. They repeatedly hear warnings about the consequences of climate change, both short- and long-term. They know their generation will be disproportionately affected by this crisis.
For some, this contributes to anxiety, worry, sadness, anger, and feelings of helplessness in the face of environmental degradation and uncertainty about the future. Such fears, related to a real global threat, can represent a rational and entirely understandable reaction.
What can make these concerns particularly hard to bear is the perception that decisions affecting their future are often made without real involvement of young people or without considering their needs.
This cycle of intergenerational injustice must be recognized and addressed. When people feel they have little influence over issues that will significantly shape their lives, they can become frustrated.
Evidence from many countries suggests that Generation Z faces poorer mental health than previous generations. Although trends vary by culture and context, large-scale studies indicate an increase in emotional distress and psychological difficulties among young people.
Public debates often focus on individual explanations: excessive screen time, reduced resilience, and difficulties coping with everyday challenges. While these factors may play a role, they do not explain the whole situation.
Mental health is influenced by the interaction between individual experiences and the broader social, economic, and cultural environments in which people live. Therefore, the current rise in mental health problems should not be viewed solely as an individual issue. Rather, it reflects a reaction to broader social pressures faced by young people transitioning to adulthood.
Despite these challenges, it would be wrong to portray Generation Z as a generation defined solely by anxiety or pessimism.
Protests about housing, education, climate policies, and economic inequality may express frustration but also demonstrate young people’s capacity to act and their desire to influence decisions that will shape their future.
A survey conducted in 2025 among 6,703 young people in Europe found that 80% of young respondents in Germany considered belonging to the European Union a good thing, compared to 65% in 2024. In France, the percentage rose from 53% to 60%. The study also highlighted the importance young people place on keeping the cost of living affordable.
These findings contradict the assumption that today’s generation of young people is simply uninterested in society. Young people are not passive recipients of social pressures. They organize, question existing rules, and seek alternatives.
The difficulties faced by Generation Z are not entirely new. What makes their experience distinct is the combination of pressures and uncertainty accompanying the transition to adult life.
Instead of asking whether today’s young people have it harder than previous generations, we should pose more useful questions: what kind of society are we asking them to build their future in? And what can we do to make that society healthier, fairer, and offer them more reasons for hope?
B.B.