New Study Says Gen Z Is Miserable. Does My Generation Have Hope?

A recent headline announces, “Gen Z is way, way more miserable than previous generation—and 1 in 4 are being treated for depression.”1 But why?

The answer you hear depends on who you ask.

“They spend too much time scrolling Instagram and TikTok instead of getting exercise outside,” says one.

“All those toxic and processed foods are affecting their mood,” muses another.

Someone else chimes in, “Well, look at the statistics—biblical sexuality and marriage have been totally perverted, and that’s certainly not good for them.”

Another asks, “Don’t you know the economy is up in smoke and political corruption is rampant?”

There isn’t a simple answer as to why only 44% of participants ages 18–29 were classified as “thriving” by Gallup researchers this year, the lowest score for young adults from 2008–2026, save 2020.2 The causes of gloom vary by the individual and may include all or none of the factors mentioned above, as there are many more. I’m not here to talk about which negative factor is most responsible for my generation’s plight or what possible treatments a clinically depressed Christian should or shouldn’t pursue (the study wasn’t limited to clinical depression anyway). What I want to share is a piece of hope with my fellow Gen Zers, a hope that doesn’t eliminate all worldly struggles but provides deep, unshakable peace through them: God’s children are never alone.

Yahweh Is Your Salvation

“O my God, my soul is in despair within me” (Psalm 42:6).

We have ample causes of despair in our world, but it was not always that way. God made a perfect world, one without sadness and pain. When Adam and Eve, the first humans, sinned against their Creator, sin’s curse wreaked havoc. Not only did strife and physical death enter our world but so did spiritual death. Like Adam, we all sin (1 John 1:10), and God—holy and just—cannot let sin go unpunished: Its ultimate consequence is never-ending death in the lake of fire.

Yet there is hope. Hope to one day live forever where sin and all of its ugly consequences are no more. God is love, and He sent Jesus, fully God and fully man, to earth as a baby born to a lowly family. Throughout His life, Jesus perfectly obeyed all God’s commands like we never could. He was sinless, yet He died a criminal’s death and took the punishment for sin that we deserved. And on the third day, He rose again, proving that He is God and He rules over death! He promises that He gives “the right to become children of God” to those who receive Him (John 1:12) and to save you from sin and its consequences if you confess Jesus as Lord and believe that He was raised from the dead (Romans 10:9).

Even when it feels like there is nothing else good in the world, nothing else good in your life, remember that Jesus laid down His life so you can live.

May you forsake your sin and run to Him, and may this hope be your anchor. I remember once hearing a pastor say, “If you have nothing else to rejoice in, rejoice in your salvation.” Yes, our Father has given us many good gifts, and He has promised to work all things together for our good, but even when it feels like there is nothing else good in the world, nothing else good in your life, remember that Jesus laid down His life so you can live. Surely the forgiveness, love, and hope of heaven received from the all-powerful God is enough to cause the heart to rejoice even in the darkest of times. With David we can say, “Yahweh is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1).

Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why are you disturbed within me?
Wait for God, for I shall still praise Him,
For the salvation of His presence.
O my God, my soul is in despair within me;
Therefore I remember You. (Psalm 42:5–6)

Who is like the Lord, our God?
Strong to save, faithful in love
My debt is paid and the victory won
The Lord is my salvation3

He Is with You in the Valley

We have a tendency to rely on ourselves. From movies and music to books and magazines, we’ve grown up being told how amazing we are and how we should follow our hearts. Beyond looking inward, we also look outward. We put celebrities on high, high pedestals and idolize relationships of all kinds. It has left us broken.

Humans are incredible. We have minds and bodies that can invent computers, climb Mt. Everest, save lives, and paint masterpieces. But we are only incredible because God created us, and He created us in His own image.

Humans are also limited and evil. We cannot control what happens tomorrow, and our flesh is wicked and destructive—you’ve read about it in history, and you’ve witnessed it in your life and the lives of those you love. Humans are a pitiful place to set your hope upon.

Left to our own strength, we would be defeated, betrayed, and helpless; we would have every reason to feel anxious and afraid (Psalm 146:3). After all, sheep leading other sheep would only lead to disaster. But God is limitless and pure, set apart from His creation—He is worthy of all our admiration and trust. With the Lord as our Shepherd, we have no reason to fear: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me” (Psalm 23:4). Discussing this verse, one author says,

It should be noticed that the verse states, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” It does not say I die there, or stop there—but rather “I walk through.”

It is customary to use this verse as a consolation to those who are passing through the dark valley of death. But even here, for the child of God, death is not an end but merely the door into a higher and more exalted life of intimate contact with Christ. Death is but the dark valley opening out into an eternity of delight with God.4

This echoes Romans 8:38–39, which says that nothing, not even death itself, can separate us from the love of God. He has promised to never desert His beloved sheep (Hebrews 13:5), and unlike mere humans, He has the power and authority and track record to keep that promise. Christians are not guaranteed a valley-free life, but the good Shepherd walks through them with us. He protects us from evil, lavishes us with His peace, provides all we need, and faithfully leads us home.

You Are Surrounded by Witnesses

Adam and Eve sinned all the way back at the beginning of creation, which means the world has been broken for thousands of years. Today’s headline is that Gen Z is “way, way more miserable than [the] previous generation,” but truly, every generation has had its share of misery. And the beautiful thing is that we walk behind other sheep who have already been through the valley and can testify of the Shepherd’s goodness.

The pages of Scripture are full of men and women who faced hardship yet persevered by faith and experienced God’s grace. Faith motivated Abraham to leave his home to dwell in tents in foreign lands, and his wife, Sarah, was barren until she was old; that couple knew the uncertainty of waiting and of feeling exposed with no place to call home. Naomi lost her husband and her sons to death—she felt the crushing weight of grief, loneliness, and even hunger due to the famine in the land. Elijah felt such heavy hopelessness that he asked God to take his life, as did Job, who lost his wealth and many family members and was afflicted with boils. Paul was beaten, thrown in prison, and slandered again and again. Yet each one also experienced God’s goodness in promises fulfilled, losses restored, and/or eternal rewards banked. And of course, Jesus Himself endured much tribulation and was acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3). He faced it all out of love for us and for the Father.

Hebrews 12:1–3 urges us to follow the example of the saints mentioned in chapter 11 who ran the race by faith, and to look to Jesus who is our ultimate example and source of hope:

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary, fainting in heart. (Hebrews 12:1–3)

Church history, too, is full of Christians—people whose legacies we admire—who faced persecution and pain, suffered from loss and heartbreak, and wrestled with unfulfilled desires and terrifying questions. Some even died because they would not deny Christ. If we read the stories of faithful missionaries and leaders who have gone before, we will be inspired by their faith, encouraged by our shared humanity, and in awe of God’s character. God is always faithful, and throughout history, He has kindly used His people despite their flaws and failings. As we walk along life’s hills and valleys, “saints of old still line the way, retelling triumphs of His grace.”5

In His kindness, the Lord hasn’t called us to walk with Him alone but has adopted us into His family.

And history isn’t the only place to find people to help you walk by faith. Become (or stay) involved in your local church where the Bible is the ultimate authority and the people love each other. Be encouraged by fellow believers as they speak and sing truth and strive to live it out, and by the help of the Holy Spirit, do the same for them. In His kindness, the Lord hasn’t called us to walk with Him alone but has adopted us into His family. We can—and ought to—walk alongside other children of God whom He equipped with various gifts so we may serve one another, united by our shared love.

The older generations in your church might have grown up in a different world in some regards, but especially if they have been a Christian for many years, they have faced temptations and trials similar to yours and can testify of the Lord’s comfort and steadfastness through each one. This prompt from the Gallup poll struck me: “There is a leader in your life who makes you enthusiastic about the future.” Only 33% of Gen Zers agreed!6 We need leaders who give us true words of hope, and they are found in our churches. Surround yourself with people who say by their lives, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1), then find joy in pouring into those younger than you too. The church is a precious gift—don’t neglect it.7

Dear Gen Zer . . .

Dear Gen Zer, whatever you’re facing, however you’re feeling, you are never alone. If the Lord is your salvation, He is also your Shepherd, and His sheep have gone before you and walk beside you. “Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow”8 are ours in Christ Jesus. All our problems won’t disappear in this sin-cursed world, but still we can praise the Lord, thanking Him for what He has and will do for His children, those in our generation and in every generation.

For the Mighty One has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
and his mercy is upon generation after generation
toward those who fear him. (Luke 1:49–50)