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The Happiness Lab · June 15, 2026 · 43m

Are Kids Today Really Worse Off?

Alexis Redding, Laurie Santos
Show Notes

Dr. Laurie Santos examines rising anxieties about young people's mental health with researcher Alexis Redding and psychologist Adam Mastroianni. Redding's discovery of 1970s college student interviews reveals remarkably similar emotional struggles to today's, while Mastroianni unpacks the “illusion of moral decline” that makes each generation think the next is worse. Together, they show that history offers a more compassionate lens for understanding young adults.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Canon

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The Illusion of Moral Decline
People consistently believe that each new generation is less moral than the one before, but Adam Mastroianni's research demonstrates that this perception is an illusion—young people are not actually getting worse over time.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini

Highlights

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1970s Students Struggled Too
Alexis Redding's archival research on college students from the 1970s revealed that their emotional challenges—anxiety, identity crises, uncertainty about the future—closely mirror those of today's students.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini

Editorial

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Historical Perspective Fosters Compassion
Understanding that past generations grappled with similar developmental struggles can help adults respond to young people with empathy rather than alarm.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini

References

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Mental Health in College: What Research Tells Us About Supporting Students — Alexis Redding (2026)
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Forms of Ethical and Intellectual Development in the College Years: A Scheme — William Perry (1968)
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