Why Are Young People Struggling to Find Purpose?

A professor returned to teaching in 2019 after spending over a decade outside the classroom. He noticed something odd about his students. While college life was once associated with energy and excitement, many now seemed weighed down by emptiness. Digging deeper, he found shocking trends: young adults under 30 were reporting triple the amount of depression compared to previous generations. Anxiety had also doubled, with nearly half of students at one top university relying on mental health services. The quest for answers pointed to a surprising culprit — a lack of direction. Studies showed that when young people felt their lives lacked purpose, depression and anxiety followed close behind. This idea isn’t new, but its intensity in recent years is. Social media, fast-paced careers, and shifting cultural values have reshaped how young people see their futures. When achievements feel hollow and connections feel shallow, mental health suffers.

What makes this crisis harder to solve is that it’s not about fixing one thing. It’s not just longer school hours or tougher exams. It’s a deeper struggle to feel like what you do matters. Without a sense of meaning, even small setbacks can feel overwhelming. Add the pressure of social comparison online and the decline of shared traditions, and you have a generation searching for solid ground. Adults often dismiss this as “just a phase” or “overreacting. ” But research shows it’s real, and it’s growing. The question now is how society can help young people build lives that feel worth living, not just steps they’re expected to follow.

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