A recent Harvard Youth Poll reveals that young Americans aged 18 to 29 are grappling with widespread anxiety about their financial futures, eroding trust in institutions, and growing skepticism about the stability of work in the age of artificial intelligence. The survey, which included 2,040 respondents, paints a picture of a generation feeling disconnected from national progress and uncertain about whether existing systems serve their interests. n nOnly a small fraction believe the U.S. is moving in the right direction, with a clear majority either convinced the country is on the wrong track or unsure of its trajectory. Financial insecurity is a central concern: 43 percent of young adults report struggling or barely getting by, a figure consistent with earlier findings from the same poll this year. Soaring housing costs, inflation, and student loan debt have transformed what was once seen as a formative life stage into a period of constant financial strain. n nThis economic unease transcends political affiliations and geographic divides. Whether urban or rural, liberal or conservative, young people share a common worry about making ends meet. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell acknowledged these struggles in September, noting that recent graduates, younger workers, and minorities face particular difficulty entering the job market. n nBeyond immediate financial pressures, many Gen Z respondents fear that technological change—particularly AI—threatens long-term employment. Rather than viewing innovation as empowering, a significant portion sees it as a risk to job security, with concerns about AI surpassing worries over immigration or trade regulations. This marks a shift from the traditional assumption that younger generations embrace new technology with optimism. Instead, many now associate digital advancement with instability—algorithmic layoffs, unpredictable schedules, and diminishing job meaning. For them, the central question is no longer how tech can create opportunities, but how soon it might render their roles obsolete. n nThe poll also highlights a broader erosion of confidence in public institutions. Trust in government, political parties, and mainstream media remains low, with many perceiving these entities as harmful rather than helpful. Even colleges, which fare relatively better, operate within a climate of deep skepticism about leadership motives. President Trump and both major parties receive poor ratings among this demographic, and while Democrats hold a slight edge ahead of the 2026 elections, this preference appears rooted more in resignation than enthusiasm. n nSocial cohesion is similarly strained. Many avoid political discussions due to fear of conflict and doubt that those with opposing views share common goals. Previous surveys in the series found minimal community connection, and the latest data suggest these patterns are solidifying. Although most reject political violence, a notable minority expresses conditional openness to it, particularly when linked to financial hardship or institutional distrust rather than ideological extremism. n nJohn Della Volpe, the poll’s director, described instability as the defining thread across responses, warning that a generation shaped by repeated crises is increasingly questioning whether American democracy and the economy can deliver on their promises. n
— news from Fortune
— News Original —
America, meet alienated Gen Z: Harvard survey reveals anxiety and distrust, defined by economic insecurity
Young Americans in the fall edition of the poll report say their lives and futures feel unstable, marked by deep economic anxiety, eroding trust in institutions, and fraying social bonds. The survey of 2,040 young people, aged 18 to 29, depicts a cohort that is pessimistic about the country’s direction and skeptical that political leaders or systems are working for them. u200b u200b u200b n n u200bOnly a small share of young Americans think the country is headed in the right direction, while a clear majority say the United States is on the wrong track, or are unsure where it is going at all. Behind that pessimism is money: More than four in 10 young people (43%) say they are struggling or getting by with only limited financial security, echoing similar findings from Harvard’s spring survey earlier this year. High housing costs, rising prices, and student debt have turned what older generations once framed as a time of exploration into a period of relentless financial triage. n nEconomic unease also cuts across traditional political and cultural divides. Pollsters and outside analysts note that anxiety about making ends meet now serves as a rare unifying experience for young adults, whether they live in cities or small towns, or lean left or right. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has agreed about the economic struggles for young people, saying in September that “kids coming out of college and younger people, minorities, are having a hard time finding jobs.” n nEconomy, work, and AI n nEconomic insecurity is central: Many young adults worry about making ends meet, affording housing, and finding stable, meaningful work. Layered onto that economic fragility is a fear that the future of work itself is slipping away. n nLarge numbers of young respondents view artificial intelligence less as a tool and more as a looming threat to their job prospects and long-term careers. In the poll, concerns about AI’s impact on employment outrank worries about immigration and rival more traditional anxieties about trade or regulation. n nThat perspective represents a striking reversal of the usual generational script. Younger Americans are often assumed to be early adopters and natural optimists about new technology, but the Harvard findings suggest they increasingly associate innovation with precarity: unstable schedules, algorithmic layoffs, and work that feels less meaningful. For many, the question is no longer how technology will expand opportunity, but how long it will be before it makes them redundant. u200b n nTrust in institutions and politics n nThe survey shows that this economic and technological uncertainty is feeding a broader collapse of faith in public life. Confidence in government, political parties, and the mainstream media is low, with many young Americans seeing these institutions as threats to their well-being rather than as sources of stability. Even institutions that fare relatively better, such as colleges, do so against a backdrop of skepticism that leaders of any kind will act in young people’s interests. n nTrust in major institutions continues to erode, with colleges and immigrants seen relatively more positively while entities such as mainstream media, political parties, and other core institutions are often viewed as risks rather than assets. President Trump and both major political parties receive poor ratings from young Americans, and although Democrats hold an advantage for the 2026 elections, that edge reflects reluctance about alternatives more than genuine enthusiasm. n n u200b u200bDonald Trump, now in his second term, fares poorly among this age group, but the poll also documents “deeply negative” views of both major parties. A plurality of respondents say they would prefer Democratic control of Congress in upcoming elections, yet that preference appears driven more by resignation than by genuine enthusiasm. Politics, in other words, feels less like a vehicle for change and more like an arena in which no one is truly on their side. n nThe poll may have a left-wing bias, as the Harvard Crimson reported on how it overestimated support for the Democratic president in both the 2020 and 2024 elections. The Harvard Youth Poll uses the Ipsos Knowledge Panel, a survey considered to be of high quality, indexed to probability, but these are built up over several years and can fail to catch rapidly shifting dynamics, such as a young-male shift to Trump in 2024. Still, this edition of the poll shows a disaffected youth, regardless of political affiliation. n nSocial trust, discourse, and vaccines n nHarvard’s researchers warn that this distrust extends beyond institutions to the social fabric itself. Many young Americans report avoiding political conversations for fear of backlash and doubt that people who disagree with them still want what is best for the country. Social connection is thin: earlier surveys in the same series found only a small minority feel deeply connected to their communities, and the new data suggest those patterns are hardening rather than easing. n nMost young Americans reject political violence, but a nontrivial minority expresses conditional openness to it, linked more to financial strain, institutional distrust, and social alienation than to clear ideological extremism. u200b This significant minority says it could be acceptable if the government violates individual rights—a view the report links less to ideology than to financial strain and alienation. Polling director John Della Volpe has described instability as the thread running through nearly every response, warning that a generation raised through crisis after crisis is now openly questioning whether American democracy and the economy can deliver for them at all. n nFor this story, Fortune journalists used generative AI as a research tool. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing.