Youth in countries around the world are happier even without social media. Young people under 25 who stay away from the noise of the digital world or have very limited use of social media have a much better quality of life than those who spend hours on screens.
The World Happiness Report-2026 published on Thursday by the Wellbeing Research Center of Oxford University states that excessive use of social media has led to a huge decline in the happiness level of the youth.
According to the report, college students in America and Europe are now personally beginning to believe that they can live a better and peaceful life without social media. They are using these platforms only under a social compulsion. The report found Finland to be the happiest country in the world for the ninth consecutive year. At the same time, India is at 116th place in the list of total 147 countries. Although India is still quite low in the ranking, it has seen an improvement of two ranks compared to the 118th rank in 2025.
What did experts say on the use of social media?
Experts believe that in India too, the imbalance between digital consumption and social interactions is affecting the level of happiness. Excessive use of social media has emerged as a serious threat to the mental health and life satisfaction of youth around the world. Researchers said that in countries where social media is banned, youth who devote time to real social relationships, family and physical activity are more mentally healthy and satisfied. agency
Youth’s disillusionment with the digital world: According to the report, college students of America and other countries now want to distance themselves from social media. Many students believe that they are only using these platforms under duress, whereas they would prefer a world where these apps did not exist.
decline in usa and canada
Countries like Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway were included in the top-10 in the report. In America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the life evaluation of youth below 25 years of age has declined significantly in the last decade. The study was based on responses from nearly a million people from 140 countries and territories who were asked to rate their lives.
Economic prosperity alone is not everything
The report clearly states that happiness does not depend only on economic prosperity. Behind the success of the Nordic countries are strong welfare systems, equality and high life expectancy. On the other hand, countries like Afghanistan, Sierra Leone and Malawi are at the bottom of the ranking.
Example of Finland and Costa Rica
People in countries like Finland (top 1) and Costa Rica (number four) have started giving importance to social equality, nature and mutual brotherhood more than technology. This is due to the quality of their social life and ongoing stability, said Jan-Emmanuel de Neve, an economics professor at Oxford.
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