We are Generation Z often addressed with the famous term Gen-Z. Born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, we have grown up during great economic recessions, climate crisis growing like nothing, racism, AI revolutions, and probably a once-in-a-century pandemic. Every news story seems like a breaking point filled with dilemmas.
This article is not about asking for pity we are asking to be heard, to be helped, and seen as humans first, not as data, trends, or problems to be fixed.
I find the growing mental health issues as a hidden pandemic. A 2023 Pew Research Center study found that seven among 10 Gen Zs say anxiety and depression are major problems among people of their age. That’s not just a stat, it’s reality.
Many of us experience it daily. Waking up to 30 unread messages but feeling too emotionally drained to respond to each of them, to attending classes while battling panic attacks Endless scrolling through social media feeds that make us feel both “not enough” and “too much.” And among all, having your parents say “you’re always on your phone” without knowing that you’re actually using it to cope.
We are clearly growing up in a world that praises productivity over well-being, successful and benefit oriented performance over peace. Mental health isn’t a luxury. It’s a right. And it’s time our institutions start treating it that way. Institutions: the state, the education givers, workplaces, family.
Reforms:
- Mental health education in schools should be highly promoted. Teaching students on how to manage stress, understand emotions, and seek help without any shame. Opening a mental health clinic in every educational institution to ensure mental well being of all the students would be wise.
- Affordable and accessible therapy (state must take lead): No one should have to choose between groceries and a therapy session. Therapy sessions and treatments needs to be affordable. It would be very wise if the state delves into such matter as a priority and takes full control on ensuring the mental wellbeing of it’s citizens through policies and programs.
- Indicate a day as mental health break day (could be once in a week or in a month): This will mark a break day where people just focus on rest, focus on positivity and take themselves far from the everyday chaos. We need to normalize mental health days and stop romanticizing the hustle culture in workplaces.
- Youth-specific health services and treatments should be promoted. Health Programs and treatments should be introduced and tailored for our generation, where professionals actually get us and not judge us.
It’s a high time we not just only react to suicides and crises and bring the initiatives that prevents them. Around 80% of Gen Zs believe in therapy and openly discuss mental health; something that the older generations avoided, according to McKinsey’s 2022 report.
We are building apps like Calm leading mental health startups, and organising healing circles. We talk. We cry. We check in with friends. We create safe spaces on Discord and Reddit when no one else does. This is not weakness. This is emotional intelligence. And it will define the future of leadership, innovation, and society.
The red flags that we possess which we can’t Ignore
Gen Z is not all roses and resilience. Doomscrolling for hours has damaged our sleep, attention span increased anxiety. Many of us use dark humor or memes to mask serious pain. It’s clever but never healing. Digital overexposure has almost ended socialisation.
Eye contact feels weird and difficult. Real conversation is always harder. Online validation has become our oxygen. A post with low engagement will definitely lead us into self-doubt. We have become that dependent. If we do not learn to balance our emotional openness with boundaries, the next generation may come up with serious traumas we didn’t heal—just packaged again in more AI advanced filters, hashtags, captions and posts.
What can be done; by everyone
This is not just on the government. It’s on all of us:
Parents: They need to stop saying “it’s all in your head.” We GenZ would love to hear you start saying, “I’m here.” “It will be fine.” “Don’t Rush”. “Learn with us”. “Heal with us.” “Make mistakes”. “Do what you love to do”.
Educators: They need to prioritize our peace and well being and not just only focus on grades. They can simply be mentors and not just only instructors.
Job Givers: Flexibility isn’t laziness. It’s modern productivity. This needs to be promoted.
Us (Gen Z): We need to call out toxicity but at the same time we also need to call in empathy. Let’s socialize more and understand the importance of the people around us. Let’s grow more emotional intelligence in us. And let’s not wait for another crisis as no one is ready to do so. Let’s speak up and share.
Every time you ignore mental health, you plant seeds of silence, shame, and suffering. And those seeds grow faster than anything. We’re here to co-create a world where wellness is woven into the fabric of society and healthy people. We’re not okay and that’s okay. This is your call: Parents, Politicians, Professors, People. This is also our call. Listen to us. Work with us. Heal with us.
Because a mentally strong generation builds a future which is worth living in.
