Young adults in Sweden feel significantly worse than older people in almost all areas of life. While older Swedes rank among the happiest in the world, young adults struggle with loneliness and psychological distress. These are the findings of a new large-scale study on flourishing in Sweden, published in the International Journal of Wellbeing and conducted by researchers at the Stockholm School of Economics, Lund University, Oslo Metropolitan University and Harvard University.
  • Pip@feddit.orgEnglish
    0·
    4 days ago

    Any ideas as to why young and old people have such distinct levels of contentment? I’m guessing it has to do with owning your house and having a stable job.

    • CAVOK@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
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      4 days ago

      In part, probably, but it’s also a bit weird since in Sweden you have every opportunity to succeed. Primary school is free, University is free, even if you fail in school you can go to municipal adult education, also free. There is a welfare state that takes care of you and will even pay your rent and food expenses if necessary. Healthcare is almost free. Job market is rough atm, but not exceptionally so.

      To me it looks like younger generations look too much at other countries, which does have it worse, and somehow apply that to life in Sweden and believe things are really bad when in reality they aren’t. Things can always be better, but I don’t get the gloomy attitude tbh.

      • Hapankaali@lemmy.worldEnglish
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        3 days ago

        Sweden has the most unequal society of all Nordic countries. It’s not at the levels of France, Germany or the UK yet, but it has been trending in the wrong direction, and allowing brownshirts near the reins of power hasn’t helped either.

        • IronBird@lemmy.worldEnglish
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          3 days ago

          rental market everywhere in the west is abysmal…will be as long as they’re allowed to be used as vehicles to faciliate speculation instead of just as places to live

          • nimpnin@sopuli.xyzEnglish
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            3 days ago

            Yeah no. It is quite bad in many places all over the world. BUT. Big cities in Sweden are especially bad. By law you gotta queue to get a long term lease, and this queue can be 10+ years in Stockholm.

            And yeah funnily enough, this is due to their rent control system. Maybe it could be implemented better, but their current system leads to terrible outcomes.

    • rabber@lemmy.caEnglish
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      4 days ago

      Older folks still seem to understand the value of face to face socialization. I’m 31 and it’s almost impossible to hang with people my age anymore. Most of my camping buddies are in their 50s now.

    • comrade_twisty@feddit.orgEnglish
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      4 days ago

      Young people also realize the world is rapidly changing and the relative calm of the past 7 decades is fading. Old people don’t really care anymore and are stuck in their old ways where nothing ever affects them.

      • chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
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        3 days ago

        The article seems to be saying they are optimistic about the future though:

        Despite their lower wellbeing today, young adults express high expectations for their future life satisfaction. On a ten-point scale, they expect their life satisfaction to reach 8.06 in five years’ time, compared with a general average of 6.65.

        “Young people’s optimism about the future is positive,” says Nora Hansson Bittár, “but the combination of low wellbeing today and very high expectations for the future brings to mind former Swedish Prime Minister Tage Erlander’s phrase about the ‘disappointment that follows rising expectations’. Overly high ambitions and ideals – likely reinforced by social media – may contribute to dissatisfaction with life in the present.”