The Generation That Stopped Believing in the American Dream
Hopeless Youth, Fragile Democracy
In 2024, a Gallup survey found that only 31% of young Americans felt they had the freedom to shape their own lives. That placed the United States near the bottom among wealthy nations, just above Greece and Italy.
For a country that built its identity on opportunity and upward mobility, this was more than a troubling data point. It was a flare in the night sky. A generation that should be bursting with energy and ambition instead admitted it feels powerless. That quiet disillusionment has become the constant rhythm of Gen Z’s experience.
No chance at a home. In most regions, houses cost five to six times the median household income. A few decades ago, the ratio was closer to three. Mortgage rates have fallen since the 1980s, but affordability has collapsed.
No hope of retirement. A large number of Gen Z adults doubt they will ever retire comfortably. Many say their current income does not cover the life they want, let alone allow saving. • A planet on fire. Most young people report regular climate anxiety. Fires, floods, and extreme heat are not distant threats. They define the landscape of their lives.
Leaders who feel far away. Congress is among the oldest in American history. The president is in his eighties. Young voters see urgent crises matched with leaders who often seem out of touch.
The Gallup finding did not shock researchers because it was unexpected. It struck a nerve because it confirmed what young people already knew. For millions of Gen Z Americans, the American Dream is no longer a goal to chase.
It is a relic their parents described, but they do not believe they will inherit. This is not simply about student debt or a temporary wave of inflation. It is about an entire generation detaching emotionally, economically, and civically.
If leaders fail to act, democracy will not collapse in one loud moment. It will wither quietly, one disengaged young person at a time.
Gen Z Did Not Fail the System. The System Failed Them First
Ask a twenty-something-year-old about the future and you will not hear excitement. You will hear a tired laugh. You will hear someone talk about tomorrow like a street they avoid after dark.
Rising costs, gridlocked politics, and shaky ladders have flipped the script their parents believed. The promise was simple. Get a job, work hard, and the rest follows. Gen Z tried. On the other side, they found a locked door.
What the numbers say
More than half report deep financial anxiety. Many say money worries hurt their mental health. A similar share say their income is not enough to reach stability. A small minority feel in control of their finances.
Nearly half say planning for the future feels pointless. A portion already believes financial security is out of reach, no matter how hard they work. Many live paycheck to paycheck and can barely tread water.
Work is not working. Six out of ten do not believe a traditional nine-to-five will deliver stability. Large numbers prefer nontraditional paths. Almost half rely on side hustles to cover the basics, the highest rate of any generation.
The old path was clear. College, job, house, retirement. Today, that path looks like a rigged game that ended before they got a turn.
Housing. Home prices have roughly tripled since 2000, while young workers’ pay barely kept pace with costs. First-time buyers are older than ever. Many Gen Z adults do not believe they will ever own.
Rent and bills. Young renters report they cannot keep up. Many have cut essentials to pay landlords. A large share have moved back with family because life on their own is not affordable.
Debt. They were told to invest in themselves with college. They graduated into heavy balances instead. Many carry significant student and credit card debt, and say it weighs on them most of the time.
So they stack gigs. They share apartments. They postpone families. Nearly one-third live at home. Many believe entrepreneurship may be their only route to a livable income. They have been told to buy everything while owning nothing. Their starter life never upgrades.
The Real Collapse Is Not Only Financial. It Is Psychological
The economic bruises are obvious. The deeper damage is invisible. Trust is falling through the floor.
Young Americans’ confidence in government has cratered. Only a minority express even moderate trust. Party labels do not fix the gap. Young Democrats, Republicans, and independents report similar disbelief.
When researchers asked focus groups for one word to describe the federal government, the most common was this. “Corrupt.”
In a global survey, only about a third of young adults in the United States felt free to shape their own lives. Among rich countries, that is near the bottom.
Whether or not the ranking is fair, the feeling is real. Powerlessness spreads. That is a red flashing warning light for any democracy.
When young people lose faith that the system works, they do not just stay home on election day. They begin searching for alternatives.
History Shows What Happens When the Young Lose Faith
Many will channel frustration into mutual aid, unions, climate projects, or local campaigns. Gen Z can organize with speed and creativity. There is also a darker current that history knows well.
When a generation becomes fatalistic about peaceful change, extremism finds oxygen. In nineteenth-century Russia, disillusioned students helped feed revolutionary fires.
In recent years, youth movements in Sri Lanka chased leaders from power during collapse. Youth unrest has rattled governments in Nepal and Bangladesh.
Even in wealthy democracies, the ground is shifting. In the United Kingdom, a national survey found that most young people agreed that the country would be better off with a strong leader who does not have to deal with Parliament or elections.
A smaller yet alarming share even entertained military control. They are not daydreaming about dictatorship. They are desperate for something that works.
In the United States, a minority of young adults tell pollsters that extraordinary measures, even violent ones, could be justified to force change.
The numbers are not a majority. They do not need to be.
When reasonable voices stop showing up, unreasonable voices get the mic. Systems rarely shatter in an instant. They dim, one light at a time, as hope drains away.
The Price of Losing Gen Z Is Not Only Moral. It Is Economic
If a critical mass of Gen Z opts out, we do not only lose voters. We lose builders.
Large numbers have considered leaving the country. Many are actively planning it. They are not chasing glamour. They are chasing a normal life at a sane cost.
Surveys of Gen Z expats show a simple pattern. Lower expenses, higher quality of life, less stress.
If the most ambitious and creative young people exit, we do not just lose labor. We lose new companies, fresh ideas, and cultural energy.
We lose the spark that has always pulled this country forward.
Those who stay face another drain. Anxiety. Loneliness. Isolation. The Surgeon General has warned of a loneliness epidemic.
Young adults report some of the highest rates. When survival is the only goal, the community withers. Without community, a healthy democracy cannot breathe.
We are watching a generation fight to pay the bills and also fight to find reasons to participate. That is not only an economic crisis. It is a civic and spiritual one.
How Do You Rebuild Trust When the Foundation Is Cracked
Slogans will not do it. Neither will a token youth roundtable. If Gen Z will believe again, Congress and political leaders must deliver proof.
Young people need to see change they can touch, and they need to know lawmakers are serious about giving them a role in shaping it.
1.) Start with what hurts the most
Forget the abstractions and go straight to the pain points.
Pass legislation that makes housing attainable. Incentivize starter homes, convert unused buildings into affordable apartments, and reform zoning laws that block supply.
Address student debt directly. Expand forgiveness and refinancing programs. Confront tuition inflation with oversight and accountability.
Create real pathways to good work. Fund national apprenticeship programs, support trade schools, and reward companies that train and invest in young workers rather than just poach talent.
Expand access to mental health care. Ensure that no young person is turned away because of cost or shortages.
When even one of these pressures eases, fatalism begins to crack. Policy results restore belief faster than any speech.
2.) Talk to Gen Z like people, not polling data
They do not need pandering. They need partnership.
Elected officials should show up where they are. Use the platforms they use. Listen more than you speak. Bring them into real policy discussions. Give them seats on commissions and advisory councils with actual influence. Fund their ideas. Hand them the microphone, not a ceremonial title.
Influence is not a trophy for retirement. It is a responsibility you hold in trust for the next generation.
3.) Rewrite the script on success
The old markers feel unreachable and uninspiring. Lawmakers can help craft a modern dream that is both attainable and meaningful.
Celebrate people who build worker co-ops, launch ethical startups, create public art, or lead climate projects. Honor debt freedom as a milestone. Treat craftsmanship, caregiving, and community leadership as victories, not footnotes.
Gen Z is already reshaping culture and work. The question is whether Congress will recognize the new map or cling to an old one that no longer guides.
If This Generation Walks Away, We All Pay the Price
The worst lie is that this is a phase. It is not. Hope does not return by accident. It returns by design.
When America listens to its youth, it finds a way forward.
The New Deal met a young generation’s demands for dignity.
The 1990s tech boom was powered by young builders who were given room to run.
The moment is back.
Gen Z’s collapse of faith is not a phase. If it is ignored, democracy will weaken.
But if leaders respond with real action that makes life more secure and opportunity more visible, hope can grow again and the American Dream can take root for a new generation.
Stay Sharp,
Gideon Ashwood