The latest 2026 World Happiness Report shows that people who use social media a lot tend to feel less satisfied with their lives.
Every year the report is released around March 20, the International Day of Happiness. Experts from Oxford University, Gallup, and the United Nations put it together.
They ask thousands of people across the world one simple question: how happy are you with your life right now?
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Studying answers from about 100,000 people in more than 140 countries, the results are clear: young people under 25 are feeling much less happy than they did ten years ago.
The biggest drop is, however, happening in English-speaking countries like the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and several places in Western Europe.
Heavy social media use is one of the main reasons given. Young people spend hours scrolling, watching perfect lives, getting likes, and comparing themselves. Many start feeling anxious, ugly, or not good enough.
One shocking finding for the yearly survey shows most American college students wish social media never existed. According to them, they keep using it only because all their friends are on it. If everyone stopped, they would be relieved.
The report looks at other things too like money, good friends, health, freedom to make choices, kindness, and trust in leaders. Those things help happiness a lot. But too much time on social media is hurting young people’s mood and confidence in many countries.
