Gen Z: The Saddest Generation?

Gen Z: The Saddest Generation? How Volunteering Can Be Their Lifeline

The Crisis We Can’t Ignore
A shocking global study across 44 nations reveals that Gen Z is sadder than even 50-year-olds. This isn’t just a statistic — it’s a wake-up call.
Gen Z, once hailed as the most connected, tech-savvy, and socially aware generation, is facing a mental health crisis like never before. Here’s why:

• Phone Addiction & Endless Screen Time: Doomscrolling, late-night binge-watching, and endless social media feeds are eating away at attention spans, sleep cycles, and mental peace.
• Crushing Debt & Future Anxiety: Rising education costs, job instability, and inflation make adulthood feel like a trap, not an opportunity.
• Hookup Culture & Loneliness: Despite being “connected,” Gen Z reports the highest rates of loneliness and lowest levels of meaningful relationships.
• Toxic Showoff Lifestyle: The constant pressure to perform, post, and compare lives online creates unrealistic expectations and feelings of inadequacy.
• Pandemic Scars: Lockdowns and isolation worsened anxiety, depression, and fear of the future — scars that still haven’t healed.
The result? Gen Z is now the most troubled and unhappy generation today.
Volunteering: The Antidote to Gen Z’s Despair
While technology isolates, volunteering connects. Research shows that helping others can significantly boost mental well-being by releasing dopamine and serotonin — the brain’s “feel good” chemicals.
At HEEALS, we’ve seen this transformation firsthand. Our Volunteer & Internship Programs are designed to give young people a purpose beyond the screen:
• Community Immersion: Work directly with children, women, and marginalized communities — build real human bonds.
• Hands-On Impact: Run health awareness campaigns, menstrual hygiene workshops, mental health support sessions, and sustainability projects.
• Skill Development: Learn leadership, communication, and project management — skills that matter far beyond your résumé.
• Digital Detox: Step away from endless notifications and engage with real-world problems that need real-world solutions.
Volunteering is not just service — it’s healing. When you give your time and energy to something bigger than yourself, you start to find clarity, purpose, and hope.
Call to Action: Your Next Scroll Could Change a Life
If you’re feeling stuck, anxious, or burnt out — take this as your sign.
Join HEEALS’ Volunteer Program and turn that despair into action.
Help us organize mental health workshops, run pad distribution drives, or teach children basic hygiene practices.
When you help someone else rise, you rise too.