For Generation Z —young people born between 1997 and 2012— emotional well-being is not an optional or marginal topic, but a pillar upon which they build their life decisions, identity, and relationship with the world. The zoomers want to leave behind the days when talking about anxiety, burnout, or depression was frowned upon in public or professional settings.
According to a survey conducted between October 2021 and July 2022, 62.4% of Gen Z youth in the United States consider mental health and personal well-being to be “very important” in their daily lives. Only 1.1% said it was not important at all, and just 7.3% said it was “not very important.”
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🌍 Why is this generation so aware of the issue?
Several factors explain this new attitude:
- They grew up in crisis: from the 2008 recession and the COVID-19 pandemic to the climate emergency, school shootings, and political polarization, Generation Z has been a witness—and a victim—of an unstable world since childhood.
- Digital overload: having been raised on the internet, many Gen Zers face high levels of anxiety, social comparison, online harassment, and exposure to toxic content. Social media is a constant source of pressure and emotional insecurity.
- Greater access to information: unlike previous generations, zoomers grew up with instant access to mental health resources, virtual therapists, and content creators who shine a light on diagnoses such as anxiety, ADHD, eating disorders, or workplace burnout.
- Profound cultural shift: many young people now understand that prioritizing mental health is not weakness, but self-care and resistance.
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💼 What it means for work and school
This awareness has a clear impact in the workplace and education:
- At work, the zoomers avoids environments that generate toxic stress, burnout, or emotional exploitation. In fact, 42% have said they would quit a job if it prevents them from maintaining emotional balance and personal life.
- In education, many young people say their training didn’t emotionally prepare them for the stress of the professional world. That’s why 47% of Gen Z wants to receive specific mental health training at their workplace, something previous generations would hardly have considered.
- In daily life, they also report symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, mental exhaustion, or depression more frequently. But unlike past generations, they seek help, talk about it, and name what they feel.
🧭 Changing the game: what Generation Z demands from the system
For this generation, emotional care is part of the social contract. That’s why they’re pushing for concrete changes:
- Companies with clear mental health policies: from mental wellness days off to access to psychological therapy as a job benefit.
- Emotional education from an early age: they don’t just want to learn math, but also tools to regulate emotions, identify stress, and understand their limits.
- Empathetic leadership: they prefer emotionally intelligent managers who listen and understand their team’s emotional processes.
- Safe spaces to talk about trauma, neurodivergence, depression, or anxiety without fear of backlash or discrimination.
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Mental health as a compass for a new era
The 62% of the zoomers who prioritize mental health are sending a powerful message: well-being is no longer the reward at the end of the road, but the starting point for living, working, and connecting. This generation wants to stop romanticizing suffering, sacrifice, or toxic productivity. Instead, they focus on dignity, self-care, and emotional resilience as tools for transformation.
Understanding this is not only essential for those who live or work with them, but for any institution that wants to stay relevant in the 21st century. Because Gen Z isn’t broken: they’re pointing out what no longer works. And that, in itself, is an act of collective healing.
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