Black Gen Z Is Struggling, Is the Polycrisis to Blame?

ANTISOCIAL looks at our national loneliness epidemic through the lens of technology and our increasingly fraught relationship with it. In this guest post by Dillard University student Elizabeth Franklin, the kids are not all right because they have to witness the world's carnage on their smartphones.

Black Gen Z is not OK.

Tristen Banks, a junior at Grambling State University, has seen this firsthand, as she watches her peers grapple with job and financial insecurity, on top of difficulty forming meaningful relationships. 

“It’s hard for certain people to make positive friendships,” Banks said. “A lack of positive friendships plays a role in a person’s mental health.”

Recent studies have shown that Gen Z is the most distressed generation, the loneliest, and the one suffering the most from societal pressures. In fact, last year, researchers in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Department of Health Policy and Management found that young adults—age 18 to 29—are the face of our national mental health crisis. 

And the numbers only get worse when you consider race.

John Hopkins researchers found that Black (11.8%) and Hispanic (10.5%) adults have higher rates of mental distress than white adults (7.4%). 

“One of the greatest differences for Gen Z compared to previous generations is that they've grown up in a fully digital world, with exposure to social media and online content essentially from the beginning of their lives,” said North Carolina-based psychiatrist Dr. Gina Newsome Duncan. “That has shaped their identity development, their social identity development, and their interactions and friendship formation.”

But that identity is increasingly stressed and depressed.

“They need to live their lives to the fullest, not hidden behind the screen,” said Banks. “We, human beings, are not meant for that type of life.”

Generation 'Polycrisis'

It’s no surprise why so many young Black people are disengaging, wanting to isolate themselves from the world. And while many of these stressors have always existed, the 21st century is the first in which all the issues are compounded and available to view at anyone’s fingertips. 

And there are certainly things for the world’s newest adults to be stressed about: 

An uptick in school shootings. 

Economic distortion compared to past generations.

The rise of artificial intelligence.

And looming environmental crises, among others. 

As a result, more than 60 percent of Gen Z respondents in a survey on mental health reported feeling anxious “often” or “all the time.”

There is a term for this phenomenon: a polycrisis. 

According to the World Economic Forum, a polycrisis is a collection of separate challenges that happen either simultaneously or subsequently. Because these challenges are often interrelated, each issue's impact is stronger than it would be on its own. Though Dr. Duncan says the polycrisis is not new and that every generation has struggled with poor mental health, the prevalence of social media means the perception of mental health is different from past generations. 

Gen Z has been described as the loneliest generation, with poor mental health and financial issues as the leading causes. And while not all members of Gen Z are alone, more of them are likely to feel disconnected from their peers than members of other generations, like Gen X or Millennials. The American Psychological Association has found that Gen Z and younger millennials are absolutely slammed with stress, particularly financial stress, which can lead to social isolation.

For Black youth, these stressors are exacerbated by systemic issues, as young Black adults must also contend with racism—from microaggressions to institutional discrimination. This can take a toll on mental health and is often linked to anxiety and low self-esteem in young Black adults. 

Social media: A gift and a curse

Dr. Duncan believes social media can have benefits—its widespread reach can increase awareness and language around mental health-related concepts. It can normalize language that encourages individuals to seek help, particularly for Gen Z, who tend to be more open about mental health than other generations. 

However, social media also has pitfalls. And not only for Gen Z. 

“There's heightened anxiety among everyone… as well as loneliness and depression, [particularly] among college students,” Dr. Duncan said. “Smartphones and social media play a role in that isolation and loneliness.”

Dr. Duncan typically works with adult patients with mood and anxiety disorders, and through her consulting firm, Abundant Lily Consulting, LLC, she serves as the lead mental health expert for the Steve Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising mental health awareness among younger generations.

Though Dr. Duncan believes social media has benefits, many see younger generations as overrelying on these platforms. According to the Pew Research Center, nearly 50% of respondents aged 18-29 report checking social media sites like TikTok at least once a day. Frequent usage of social media has been linked to increasing feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety among users. Furthermore, social media can highlight tragedies happening around the world, which may raise awareness but can weigh people down.

As a college student, Banks sees this issue often among her peers.

“The world is changing every day, and it is visible online,” she said. “If you overwhelm yourself with what is going on in the world, it is difficult to take care of yourself.” 

Getting help

According to Dr. Duncan, young adults can do several things if they feel they are struggling to cope. 

• Seek support from family and friends: holding emotions inside is harmful, and reaching out to loved ones can often help relieve stress.  
• Use student counseling centers on college campuses. 
• Research community and online resources like The Steve Fund can provide accessible avenues for assistance. 

Additionally, despite the additional stressors Black students face, Duncan notes that Black young adults also have a unique support system. 

“There are also many protective factors inherent in their families, culture, and community that can help buffer and bolster their mental health,” Duncan said. “The African American community tends to be collectivist in nature, [which] can help shape and influence the experience of young people.”

To support young adults who may be struggling with their mental health, loved ones should be open-minded about mental health. Duncan also believes that parents and older figures should be willing to reach out for help themselves.

“Young people learn from watching us. They are watching their peers, but they are also watching what we, as parents and caregivers, model for them,” Duncan said. “If we model a willingness to be vulnerable and demonstrate how to go about seeking help, that can do much more than our words alone in encouraging them to seek help themselves.”

About the author: Elizabeth Franklin is a Dillard University student majoring in political science and urban policy, with interests in public affairs, writing, and community-centered storytelling. Follow her on LinkedIn.