Unhappy?

 Achor Shawn's book Big Potential reports this data: in 1978, the average age for a diagnosis of depression was 29; by 2009, the average age had dropped to fourteen and a half. Unfortunately, it's likely that since 2009, the average age has dropped even further.

Depression means unhappiness. Why are people more unhappy in the age of prosperity?
Humans possess the internal tools to solve problems, and this is a problem, a major problem.

Can we support some hypotheses on this issue?
Let's examine two: the decline in attention to ordinary people and social comparison.

Interest in others has declined as the culture of image has emerged. The spread of television and cinema has focused attention on the legends of sports and film, obviously diminishing interest in the ordinary person, who lacks the beauty and heroism of the legend.
Sports personalities, and especially those of film, have in turn become ambassadors of consumerism, luxury, and the jet set; consequently, social comparison has spread, gradually driving people into debt to live up to social standards.
If you have a nice house, a nice car, go on vacation and ski trips, go out to dinner every week, and dress fashionably, you're fine; otherwise, you're a loser. So your happiness is no longer within you, but outside of you, in the world, which becomes increasingly challenging and unattainable, because it's a goal, not an internal state.

Anyone who's been to Africa has noticed how children display a joyful smile, while childhood seems tense and stressed, just like their parents.

The further we distance ourselves from humanity and nature, the more our unhappiness increases. It's no coincidence that today, the unhappiest and most frustrated people live in cities, where, by sheer numbers, human and social degradation is concentrated.

Enjoy!