The 2026 World Happiness Report confirms Finland as the world’s happiest country for the ninth consecutive year, while sounding a serious alarm about the impact of social media on youth well-being across English-speaking and Western European nations.
Key ideas:
- Social Media and Youth Well-Being: Life satisfaction scores among under-25s in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have dropped by nearly one point over the past decade, with heavy social media use identified as a key contributing factor.
- Teenage Girls Most at Risk: The negative effects are especially concerning for teenage girls, with those spending five or more hours daily on social media reporting notably lower life satisfaction than lighter users.
- The Algorithmic Problem: Platforms with algorithmic feeds, visual content, and influencers are the most harmful because they encourage social comparison, while platforms focused on direct communication show better outcomes for users.
- Costa Rica’s Rise: Costa Rica climbed to fourth place, with researchers attributing its happiness to the strength of its family bonds, social ties, and overall social capital.
