Arthur Brooks: The Saddest Countries All Speak English
Recent data indicates that young adults in English-speaking countries are facing a significant decline in life satisfaction. This trend contrasts with the experiences of young adults from non-English-speaking countries, who appear to be happier. The differences in social media usage may contribute to feelings of isolation and despair among English speakers.
- ▪Young adults in English-speaking countries report a sharp decline in life satisfaction.
- ▪In contrast, young adults from Asian and South American countries seem to be happier.
- ▪The way social media is used in English-speaking countries may be fueling feelings of isolation.
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Arthur Brooks: The Saddest Countries All Speak EnglishNew data reveals that young adults in English-speaking countries are experiencing a unique, sharp decline in life satisfaction. (Illustration by The Free Press, images via Getty)The English-speaking world doesn’t use social media more than the rest of the world—but it uses it differently, in ways that may be fueling isolation and despair.By Arthur Brooks05.18.26 — The Pursuit of Happiness with Arthur BrooksFOLLOW COLUMN --:----:--Upgrade to Listen5 minsProduced by ElevenLabs using AI narration1For decades, my students have been split approximately 50-50 between Americans and those from abroad. As a behavioral scientist specializing in happiness, I pick up on the dispositional differences between the two groups.
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