One in 4 full-time Generation Z employees regret attending college, according to a recent survey in the United States. Despite holding degrees, many young people are struggling to find a job in their preferred industry and wish they had pursued a higher-paying field.
The average college tuition fee has more than doubled in the 21st century, now costing more than $38,000 per year. Graduation no longer guarantees a cushy job — in addition to unemployment, student debt, and inflation, many Gen Zers (roughly aged 13-29) contend with traditional entry-level positions disappearing due to automation.
Gen Zers who are employed report the lowest life evaluations (that is, current satisfaction and optimism about the future) at work. They are also the generation least likely to prefer working exclusively remotely, due to self-reported frequent feelings of loneliness.
Splitting adult Gen Zers into two cohorts and comparing older members (aged 22-29) with younger ones (aged 18-21) reveals divergent trends and suggests that younger Gen Zers may choose a different educational path.
Older Gen Zers more closely resemble millennials. They finished high school prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and were in university during President Donald Trump’s first term, when woke hysteria dominated.
On the other hand, younger Gen Zers were still in high school during the pandemic. (Its youngest members will enter the ninth grade next year.) Because younger Gen Z underwent COVID-19 during their teenage years, their schooling, social interactions, and important milestones such as prom were severely disrupted by policies they considered ineffectual or arbitrary. This fostered a sense of defiance and a distrust of authority that differentiates them from older Gen Z.
I believe the internet also enabled younger Gen Z, as children not yet indoctrinated by mainstream thinking, to access a wider range of viewpoints instead of being limited to narratives sanctioned by our institutions. A growing ecosystem of right-leaning podcasts emboldened them in questioning so-called experts and legacy media, and in defying politically correct authoritarianism being pushed by educators and dominant culture.
Adolescence is a time characterized by identity formation, self-discovery, and independence. Rebellion is a normal part of this process, and political beliefs have become a facet of it. When asked about the 2026 congressional elections, older Gen Z favored Democrats, while younger Gen Z favored Republicans.
Despite these shifts in attitude, Gen Zers are disillusioned about their future. Less than half (47%) of 18- to 26-year-olds said they are “thriving” in their lives, which means most are struggling and don’t feel optimistic about where they expect to be in a few years. This percentage of “thriving” individuals is lower than what millennials (60%) self-reported at the same age.
Mental health problems associated with excessive screentime surely explain a large portion of Gen Z’s apathy and nihilism. Gen Zers experience higher rates of anxiety, sadness, and stress than previous generations. Fewer Gen Zers describe their emotional wellbeing as “good” or “excellent” than any other generation.
Feeling like you haven’t yet gotten your life together is tough as is. I can only imagine how much worse a person feels if they’re simultaneously being bombarded on social media with glossy (albeit deceptive) content of everyone else living a luxurious and exciting life. (This is why I advocate quitting these platforms.)
WHY GEN Z IS FLOCKING TO STRONG RELIGION
And now, older Gen Zers are finding that a college diploma wasn’t worth the investment. Here is the harsh truth: From what I witnessed during my time in academia, I would imagine that many college students graduate wholly unprepared for the workforce after being taught essentially nothing useful during those four years. And due to the emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, some students may not have been qualified to be there in the first place.
As Gen Z becomes more enmeshed with artificial intelligence, I expect fewer of the younger cohort to adhere to previous expectations of going to college. This may allow them to circumvent their older peers’ post-graduation concerns about preferred jobs becoming obsolete. Gen Zers in high school report feeling more excited and hopeful and less anxious about AI than their older Gen Z counterparts. The world may be changing in unprecedented ways, but we also have the opportunity to build something better.
Dr. Debra Soh is a sex neuroscientist and the author of The End of Gender. Follow her @DrDebraSoh and visit DrDebraSoh.com.