Gen Zers who are actually happy are saying yes to religion and family — and no to social media

Many of nan kids are not alright — though immoderate are.

According to nan 2025 World Happiness Report, Americans ages 18 to 29 classed 62nd amongst nan 140 countries surveyed successful position of self-reported well-being and life restitution — far beneath each US adults, who classed 24th successful nan astir caller report.

But a mini conception of young Americans are bucking nan inclination and uncovering happiness. The Post said pinch several, and they each noted that limiting their clip connected Instagram, TikTok and nan for illustration was important to their intelligence well-being. The mean Zoomer spends 3 quarters of their day consuming content.

“Social media successful and of itself is simply a very antagonistic and toxic place,” Kevin Alexander, a self-described happy 28-year-old from Southern Florida, told The Post. “I don’t usage it that much.”

Alexander has suffered from cerebral palsy since commencement and uses crutches for mobility. His disablement taught him that “comparison is nan thief of joy” early on, truthful he’s ever avoided societal media, which he believes has been key.

“I hap to beryllium physically disabled, truthful I thin to look much for affirmative things, because I’ve surely dealt pinch a big of negativity successful my life done operations, done stigma, done a batch of things,” he explained.

Alexander, who precocious sewage his master’s grade successful history and is moving connected an effort postulation while applying to PhD programs, besides credits his intelligence pursuits for his affirmative outlook.

“I publication a lot, and I effort to enactment wrong successful my ain caput much than perceive to nan outer noise,” he said. “I’m conscionable truthful successful my books and successful my penning that I tin get mislaid to nan world for respective hours of nan time astatine a time.”

Ben Feinblum, a 20-year-old sophomore studying business astatine Georgia Tech, believes societal media is bringing his procreation down and credits his affirmative outlook to restricting his usage of it.

“Social media makes group very comfortable being alone, and moreover erstwhile they are hanging retired pinch group they’re connected their phones and texting group that aren’t moreover there,” nan New Rochelle autochthonal said.

Feinblum turns disconnected notifications connected apps, specified arsenic Instagram, that aren’t essential, and he and his friends person created rituals to enactment successful nan infinitesimal while hanging out.

“My friends will beryllium very conscious of who’s connected their telephone and telephone them out,” he said. “We stack up our phones connected nan table, and whoever picks theirs up first is nan 1 to salary nan extremity for dinner.”

Sarah-Elisabeth Ellison, an unusually upbeat 20-year-old sophomore astatine Samford University successful Alabama, besides makes efforts to rein successful her societal media usage erstwhile she feels it getting retired of hand.

“I tin benignant of return authority and say, you cognize what, Instagram, Snapchat, aliases TikTok is really affecting me. I’ve sewage to delete it for a week aliases 2 aliases whatever,” she said.

She besides avoids “bed rotting” — a wallowing shape of aforesaid attraction beloved by Zoomers — successful favour of healthier pursuits.

“Instead, [I say] I’m gonna spell return a locomotion outside. I’m going to publication a book,” she said. “I deliberation sometimes you request to flight immoderate your business is, and I deliberation reference is nan top resource.”

Daily journaling has besides been proved adjuvant to Ellison, who dealt pinch worry successful her teens.

“Just getting my thoughts retired and getting to agelong those penning legs has ever brought a boost to my serotonin,” she said. “I effort to get down 5 things I’m grateful for.” 

Nearly each of nan happy Zoomers The Post said pinch cited their religion arsenic a awesome logic for their contentment.

“Something that has ever influenced maine is increasing up pinch a dada that’s a pastor,” Ellison said. “My religion has ebbed and flowed and changed a batch arsenic I’ve grown up, but it’s ever been consistently location for maine to autumn backmost on.”

For Alexander, his Christian religion has helped him framework his disablement successful a affirmative manner.

“The truth that I’m still present 28 years later makes maine judge that God has maine present for a reason,” he said. “I person beingness limitations, but He spared my expertise to speak, to think, and to constitute effectively. The thought that I’m present for a intent keeps maine from falling into nan generational nihilism.”

Fay Dubinsky, 28 of Boca, Florida, credits Judaism pinch providing her pinch a consciousness of organization and meaning.

“I grew up Jewish and religious, and I deliberation that’s astir apt 1 of nan reasons that I’m not depressed aliases anxious,” she said. “I person truthful overmuch meaning successful my life, and that’s not emblematic for my generation.”

Dubinsky, who useful arsenic a therapist, besides says her prime to get joined early, at property 25, and commencement a family soon aft has fixed her much purpose. She has a astir 2-year-old boy and is 7-months-pregnant.

“I return clip for myself, but truthful overmuch of my time is to thief others, to return attraction of my family, to return attraction of my baby,” she said. “I deliberation nan number 1 problem successful my procreation is simply a deficiency of meaning. People my age, their life is astir them, and serving themselves, and ever seeking retired much pleasure.”