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Gen Z Names Their Top 10 Biggest Sources of Anxiety

According to the generation reportedly “paralyzed by fear,” these are their top 10 sources of worry…

Written and Edited by the YPulse Editorial Team

Jun 29 2026
North America

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Gen Z is anxious, that we can confirm—and their stress isn’t coming from one place
Social media and the internet rank as Gen Z’s biggest source of anxiety, fueled by pressure to always keep up
The pressure to conform is another major source of anxiety, with many Gen Z worrying about being “cringe”

While a lot of headlines about Gen Z are overblown and dramatic, their anxiety is one thing YPulse can confirm is very real. YPulse’s Mental Health data shows 77% of 13-24-year-olds are anxious about the future—a number that’s remained high and actually increased since 2022 (from 71%). And as YPulse has reported for years, there isn’t one single reason Gen Z feels this way. But rather than speculate about what’s driving Gen Z’s anxiety, we asked them directly. In YPulse’s Mental Health survey, we ask 13-39-year-olds directly what they think is the biggest source of anxiety for their generation—and why*....