The Lost Generation: The Declining Trend of American Adolescents

Between the 2010s and 2025, a range of statistics and studies indicate that physical, mental, social, and civic health indicators among adolescents and young adults in the United States—especially Generation Z—have either stagnated or significantly declined. From rising mental disorders and suicidal thoughts to the widespread use of electronic tobacco products, from increased early exposure to sexual content and pornography to signs of weakening social capital and civic engagement, the evidence collectively points to an emerging generational crisis. A new framework in this field, beyond merely describing the symptoms, proposes that a combination of macroeconomic policies, unchecked liberalization ideology in markets and consumer culture, along with the influential role of major technology platforms and media companies, has acted as accelerators of the “decline of the liberal order” and promoters of unhealthy norms.¹^and²^and³

Limited Evidence: The Decline of Mental Health and the Widespread Prevalence of Anxiety

Official statistics from U.S. health agencies indicate that the mental health of high school students has reached a critical point in recent years. Surveillance reports (YRBSS) show that around 40% of students have reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, about 20% have seriously considered suicide, and nearly 9% have engaged in self-harm or attempted suicide—figures that should be viewed as highly alarming from a public health perspective. These trends align with meta-analyses and scientific studies reporting a correlation between heavy social media use and increased internalizing symptoms of depression and anxiety. While establishing direct causality is complex and lengthy, the correlations and mechanistic pathways—such as sleep disruption, social comparison, and reduced face-to-face interaction—provide strong support for this association..⁴^and⁵

Risky Behaviors, Substance Use, and Physical Health

Alongside mental disorders, adolescents’ physical health indicators have also raised alarms. The prevalence of obesity among teenagers has been rising, affecting nearly one-fifth of children and adolescents. Additionally, the use of e-cigarettes among high school students has, in some years, reached double digits, bringing serious respiratory consequences and strong nicotine dependence at this age. Furthermore, the crisis of drug-related poisonings and deaths—particularly from opioids, followed by synthetic drugs—has surged sharply in recent years. This combination of physical and mental health issues highlights the deep vulnerability of the young American generation to “market-driven addictive products.^{6 and 7 and 8}

Digital Culture, Algorithms, and the Attention Economy

One of the most prominent narratives used to explain the current situation focuses on the role of major technology companies and algorithms designed to capture user “attention,” particularly in the United States. Internal documents from companies like Facebook (Meta), exposed by reputable media outlets, reveal that these platforms have been aware for years of the potential harms their products pose to adolescents’ mental health, yet a balance between commercial interests (time spent and engagement) and child protection has not been established. The result is algorithms that amplify provocative or offensive content, body and appearance comparisons, and sexual or violent material, while also increasing children’s early exposure to harmful content. The fact that regulatory bodies and the companies themselves have so far failed—or refused—to implement effective protective measures reveals part of the “structural pressure” exerted on the young generation.⁹^and¹⁰^and¹¹

Civic Developments and the Decline of Social Capital

Classical and contemporary studies show a consistent decline in civic engagement, public trust, and “social capital,” particularly among American adolescents. Today’s teenagers and young adults are less active in traditional organizations, churches, and associations; this reduction in face-to-face social ties fosters social isolation and a decrease in shared values, leaving a market-driven liberal social regime vulnerable to the temptations of extreme consumerism and individualism. At the same time, studies reporting a “decline in adult-like behaviors” (such as driving, part-time work, etc.) indicate that today’s youth are following different social development pathways, the long-term consequences of which are still unfolding. ¹²^and¹³

Culture: Pornography, Sexualization, and Inadequate Education

Easy and free access to online sexual and pornographic content, early exposure of children to this material, and the lack of comprehensive, health-based sex education constitute a dangerous combination. Systematic reviews of studies indicate that adolescents’ exposure to pornography is associated with outcomes such as early sexual activity, unrealistic expectations about relationships, and mental health issues. When this trend is combined with algorithms and markets that promote commercial sexual content, it fosters a “culture of unhealthy relationships”—a culture that conflicts with moral education grounded in ethics and responsibility.^{13 and 14}

Structural Roots: Economic Policy, Inequality, and the “Debt-Ridden Generation”

In addition to cultural and technological factors, economic structures play a significant role. Years of financial and educational policies that have increased college costs, expanded student debt, and limited access to housing and stable employment have placed a heavy burden on younger generations. Analyses by reputable institutions such as Brookings, the Federal Reserve, and research organizations indicate that youth debt and economic uncertainty exacerbate delayed family formation, altered political participation, and psychological stress. Thus, the claim that “liberal market-oriented institutions and policies” have contributed to worsening generational conditions is supported by economic evidence as well.^{16 and 17}

Political Outlook: The Decline of the Liberal Order Emerging from a Generational Crisis

The deep social and moral crisis of the new generation in the United States cannot be reduced merely to cultural changes or the emergence of new technologies; rather, this crisis is a direct reflection of the internal contradictions of the American liberal order. In its American narrative, liberalism proclaims individual freedom, equal opportunities, and human dignity on the one hand, while in practice it is dominated by the logic of an unrestrained market and government decisions that prioritize the interests of large corporations and the maintenance of geopolitical standing over the social well-being of future generations. It is this very duality that has today manifested as a moral and identity crisis among the nation’s adolescents and young adults.¹⁸

Debt-Driven Economy and Generational Insecurity

The United States has long emphasized equal opportunity as a core aspect of its identity, yet the economic and educational policies of successive governments over the past four decades have often worked contrary to this ideal. Today’s American youth have earned the label “the debt-ridden generation”; student debt has surpassed \$1.7 trillion, keeping a large portion of graduates under years of repayment pressure. This financial burden not only impedes family formation, homeownership, and job stability but also reinforces feelings of injustice and a lack of future prospects among Generation Z and Millennials. Thus, American liberalism, which promised economic freedom, has in practice held the youth’s future hostage to the financial and banking system.

Moreover, the U.S. government’s lenient policies toward technology and social media companies reflect a prioritization of market interests over public health. Washington has repeatedly failed to implement new regulations against harmful Facebook and Instagram algorithms, even though, as mentioned, leaked documents reveal that these companies were well aware of the detrimental effects on adolescents’ mental health. The outcome of this negligence is a rise in depression, anxiety, and identity crises among young people. Under the banner of free speech, the U.S. government has effectively guaranteed unrestricted market freedom over data, protecting the interests of tech companies at the cost of the younger generation’s mental well-being.

Contradictory Policies on Public Health

The contradictions of the liberal order in the realm of public health are also evident. On one hand, government agencies have spent billions of dollars combating the opioid crisis, yet decades earlier, those same governments granted licenses and subsidies to pharmaceutical companies that were the primary drivers of opioid addiction. Similarly, while the U.S. government ostensibly fought against tobacco use, in practice it allowed nicotine and addictive substance industries to freely target the adolescent generation. These evident contradictions demonstrate that the logic of capital and lobbying by major American or multinational corporations has consistently prevailed over the logic of social health.

The Collapse of Intermediary Institutions and the Erosion of Social Capital

American liberalism is built on extreme individualism; as a result, institutions such as families, civic associations, and religious organizations—which once carried shared values and identity—have been marginalized. Multiple studies show that young people’s participation in churches, volunteer groups, and civic activities has sharply declined, while time spent in digital environments has increased. This institutional void has left youth growing up in a value-deprived space, vulnerable and unprotected against consumerist and media-driven cultures.¹⁹

Image: According to Pew Research Center survey data in 2025, religious beliefs among young Americans are at their lowest, with only 28% identifying with them.

Image: Pew Research Center’s 2025 studies show that religious beliefs among American adolescents and young adults have changed significantly, with 45% of American households reporting that their children participate in almost no religious ceremonies.

Image: Survey results and studies by the Pew Research Center in 2025 indicate a significant gap in religious beliefs between young Americans and older age groups.

Political Consequences: The Crisis of Legitimacy in the Liberal Order

Young Americans face a combination of psychological, economic, and cultural pressures. All these factors have come together to challenge the legitimacy of the American liberal order. How can one speak of freedom and equal opportunity when young people are either burdened with debt or trapped in depression caused by social media and modern addictions? How can one speak of public morality when policymaking institutions prioritize the interests of major tech, pharmaceutical, and financial companies over supporting families and communities? These contradictions are not temporary weaknesses but signs of structural decline: American liberalism has, with its own hands, undermined the foundations of a generation. This generational crisis represents the greatest threat to the continuation of U.S. hegemony in the world, because a society that loses its next generation can no longer reproduce its power and identity.

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