Young Americans say the country is heading down a dark road and fear their futures are unstable, according to the latest Harvard Youth Poll out Thursday morning.
Why it matters: Financial insecurity, intense political polarization and the rise of AI are eroding Gen Z's faith in their economic prospects and public institutions overall.
The authors of the report, now in its 25th year, warn that this massive upheaval is threatening the country's stability.
"Instability is shaping nearly every part of young people's lives," said John Della Volpe, director of polling at the Harvard Institute of Politics, in a Zoom with reporters and students involved in the survey.
By the numbers: A majority of respondents (57%) say the country is headed in the wrong direction — a six-point rise from last year, and one point down from the record high notched in the spring of 2024.
Young adults are far more worried about the country's future now than they were during the depths of the Great Recession in 2009, when the economy was truly cooked.
At that time, only 37% of respondents said the U.S. was on the wrong track — 20 points less than this year.
The survey of 2,040 18-29-year-olds took place in early November.
The big picture: Economic insecurity is playing a big role here.
Even though the overall economy is holding up, young adults are being hit hard by some of its biggest weaknesses — particularly, a stagnant job market, changes brought by AI and sky-high housing prices.
43% of those surveyed say they are struggling financially or getting by with limited financial security. Those numbers are higher for Black and Hispanic respondents, and those without a college degree.
Inflation was the most urgent economic issue for young adults of both political parties — nearly half who identify as Republicans said it was their top issue, and 36% of Democrats.
Zoom in: AI is also now creating economic anxiety for this generation.
59% see AI as a threat to their job prospects — more than immigration (31%) or outsourcing jobs to other countries (48%). Majorities of both parties are threatened.
Zoom out: Economic worry is the new unifier among young adults, says Kritika Nagappa, a Harvard senior who worked on the AI and economy pieces of the survey.
"You really can't lie to young people about the economy, especially when they're just trying to get by."
Friction point: Young adults are fed up with politics, too. And while 46% said they'd rather have Democrats control Congress, Gen Z holds "deeply negative views of both parties," according to the report.
President Trump's approval rating among this group is 29% overall — down two points from the spring.
Between the lines: The rising cost of living has become a political liability for Trump — just as it did for his predecessor.
Reality check: Uncertainty about one's future is a core part of being a young adult — it's perhaps unsurprising that a feeling of instability would be surging at a time of rapid change in technology and politics.
What to watch: For the first time, the Harvard poll asked young adults whether political violence is ever acceptable.
39% said it is under at least one circumstance. It's unclear if this is unusually high — it's something that will need to be tracked over time.
