HELSINKI (AP) — Heavy social media use contributes to a stark decline in well-being among young people, with the effects particularly worrying in teenage girls in English-speaking countries and Western Europe, according to the World Happiness Report 2026 published Thursday.
The annual report, published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, also found that Finland is the happiest land in the world for the ninth year in a row, with other Nordic countries such as Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway ranking among the top 10 countries.
kAmqFE :E 9:89=:89E65 9@H =:76 6G2=F2E:@?D 2>@?8 F?56C ad\J62C\@=5D 😕 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^F?:E65\DE2E6DQm&?:E65 $E2E6Dk^2m[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^42?252Qmr2?252k^2m[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^2FDEC2=:2QmpFDEC2=:2k^2m 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?6H\K62=2?5Qm}6H +62=2?5k^2m 92G6 5C@AA65 D:8?:7:42?E=J @G6C E96 A2DE 564256[ 2?5 DF886DE65 E92E =@?8 9@FCD DA6?E D4C@==:?8 E9C@F89 D@4:2= >65:2 😀 2 <6J 724E@C 😕 E92E EC6?5]k^Am
kAmr@DE2 #:42 ;F>AD E@ cE9 A=246j }@C5:4 4@F?EC:6D DE2J @? E@Ak^Am
kAmp ?6H 6?ECJ E@ E96 E@A 7:G6 @? E96 =:DE 😀 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^4@DE2\C:42Qmr@DE2 #:42k^2m[ H9:49 4=:>365 E@ 7@FCE9 A=246 E9:D J62C 27E6C C:D:?8 E9C@F89 E96 C2? abC5 A=246 😕 a_ab]k^Am
kAm%96 C6A@CE 2EEC:3FE6D E92E E@ H6==\36:?8 3@@DED 7C@> 72>:=J 3@?5D 2?5 @E96C D@4:2= 4@??64E:@?D]k^Am
kAm“(6 E9:?< :E’D 3642FD6 @7 E96 BF2=:EJ @7 E96:C D@4:2= =:G6D 2?5 E96 DE23:=:EJ E92E E96J 4FCC6?E=J 6?;@J[” D2:5 y2?\t>>2?F6= s6 }6G6[ 2? ~I7@C5 64@?@>:4D AC@76DD@C H9@ 5:C64ED E96 (6==36:?8 #6D62C49 r6?EC6 2?5 4@\65:ED E96 (@C=5 w2AA:?6DD #6A@CE]k^Am
kAm“{2E:? p>6C:42 >@C6 86?6C2==J 92D DEC@?8 72>:=J E:6D[ DEC@?8 D@4:2= E:6D[ 2 8C62E =6G6= @7 D@4:2= 42A:E2=[ 2D 2 D@4:@=@8:DE H@F=5 42== :E[ >@C6 D@ E92? 😕 @E96C A=246D[” 96 25565]k^Am
kAm%96 C6A@CE D2:5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^H@C=5\92AA:?6DD\C6A@CE\C2?<:?8\7:?=2?5\27892?:DE2?\FD\3c`4`f`accgfea5hg76h6c7g_abb4`d7Qmu:?=2?5k^2m 2?5 E96 @E96C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^36\H6==\D62D@?2=\27764E:G6\5:D@C56C\=:89E\E96C2AJ\b2g_47fe5eb5g_3c3f5_7gc6f3efdde2Qm}@CE96C? tFC@A62? 4@F?EC:6D’ DE625J C2?<:?8 @? E@Ak^2m 😀 C6=2E65 E@ 2 4@>3:?2E:@? @7 H62=E9[ :ED 6BF2= 5:DEC:3FE:@?[ 92G:?8 2 H6=72C6 DE2E6 E92E AC@E64ED A6@A=6 7C@> E96 C:D
kAmpD 😕 AC6G:@FD J62CD[ ?2E:@?D 😕 @C ?62C K@?6D @7 >2;@C 4@?7=:4E C6>2:? 2E E96 7@@E @7 E96 C2?<:?8D] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^27892?:DE2?Qmp7892?:DE2?k^2m 😀 C2?<65 2D E96 F?92AA:6DE 4@F?ECJ 282:?[ 7@==@H65 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^D:6CC2\=6@?6Qm$:6CC2 {6@?6k^2m 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>2=2H:Qm|2=2H:k^2m 😕 p7C:42]k^Am
kAmr@F?ECJ C2?<:?8D H6C6 32D65 @? 2?DH6CD 8:G6? 3J 2C@F?5 `__[___ A6@A=6 😕 `c_ 4@F?EC:6D 2?5 E6CC:E@C:6D H9@ H6C6 2D<65 E@ C2E6 E96:C @H? =:G6D] %96 DEF5J H2D 5@?6 😕 A2CE?6CD9:A H:E9 E96 2?2=JE:4D 7:C> k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]82==FA]4@>^2?2=JE:4D^b`ggfd^8=@32=\C6D62C49]2DAIQmv2==FAk^2m 2?5 E96 &]}] $FDE2:?23=6 s6G6=@A>6?E $@=FE:@?D }6EH@C<]k^Am
kAmx? >@DE 4@F?EC:6D[ 2AAC@I:>2E6=J `[___ A6@A=6 2C6 4@?E24E65 3J E6=6A9@?6 @C 7246\E@\7246 6249 J62C]k^Am
kAm%66?286 8:C=D 6DA64:2==J GF=?6C23=6k^Am
kAm#6DA@?56?ED H6C6 2D<65 E@ 6G2=F2E6 E96:C =:G6D @? 2 D42=6 7C@> _ E@ `_] p>@?8 F?56C\adD 😕 t?8=:D9\DA62<:?8 2?5 (6DE6C? tFC@A62? 4@F?EC:6D[ E92E D4@C6 5C@AA65 3J 2=>@DE @?6 A@:?E @G6C E96 A2DE 564256]k^Am
kAm%96 C6A@CE D2:5 E96 ?682E:G6 4@CC6=2E:@? 36EH66? H6==\36:?8 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^>6E2\:?DE28C2>\72463@@<\EC:2=\D@4:2=\>65:2\255:4E:@?\a273cg_h5a5333_5`6ehfbh4f7a3a_3bQm6IE6?D:G6 D@4:2= >65:2 FD6k^2m 😀 A2CE:4F=2C=J 4@?46C?:?8 2>@?8 E66?286 8:C=D] u@C 6I2>A=6[ :E D2:5 E92E `d\J62C\@=5 8:C=D H9@ FD6 D@4:2= >65:2 7@C 7:G6 9@FCD @C >@C6 C6A@CE65 2 5C@A 😕 =:76 D2E:D724E:@?[ 4@>A2C65 E@ @E96CD H9@ FD6 :E =6DD]k^Am
kAm*@F?8 A6@A=6 H9@ FD6 D@4:2= >65:2 7@C =6DD E92? @?6 9@FC A6C 52J C6A@CE E96 9:896DE =6G6=D @7 H6==\36:?8[ C6D62C496CD D2:5[ 9:896C E92? E9@D6 H9@ 5@ ?@E FD6 D@4:2= >65:2 2E 2==] qFE 25@=6D46?ED 2C6 DA6?5:?8 2? 6DE:>2E65 2G6C286 @7 a]d 9@FCD 2 52J @? D@4:2= >65:2]k^Am
kAm“xE 😀 4=62C E92E H6 D9@F=5 =@@< 2D >F49 2D A@DD:3=6 E@ AFE E96 ‘D@4:2=’ 324< :?E@ D@4:2= >65:2[” s6 }6G6 D2:5]k^Am
kAmp=8@C:E9>:4 7665D 2?5 :?7=F6?46CD D66? 2D 4F=AC:EDk^Am
kAm#6D62C496CD ?@E65 E92E 😕 D@>6 A2CED @7 E96 H@C=5[ DF49 2D E96 |:55=6 t2DE 2?5 $@FE9 p>6C:42[ E96 =:?65:2 FD6 2?5 H6==\36:?8 2C6 >@C6 A@D:E:G6 — 2?5 J@FE9 H6==\36:?8 92D ?@E 72==6? 56DA:E6 962GJ D@4:2= >65:2 FD6]k^Am
kAm%96 C6A@CE D2:5 E9:D 😀 5F6 E@ >2?J 724E@CD E92E 5:776C 36EH66? 4@?E:?6?ED[ 3FE 4@?4=F565 E92E 962GJ D@4:2= >65:2 FD6 😕 D@>6 4@F?EC:6D 😀 2? :>A@CE2?E 4@?EC:3FE:?8 724E@C E@ E96 564=:?6 😕 J@FE9 H6==\36:?8]k^Am
kAmxE D2:5 E96 >@DE AC@3=6>2E:4 A=2E7@C>D 2C6 E9@D6 H:E9 2=8@C:E9>:4 7665D[ 762EFC6 :?7=F6?46CD 2?5 H96C6 E96 >2:? >2E6C:2= 😀 G:DF2=[ 3642FD6 E96J 6?4@FC286 D@4:2= 4@>A2C:D@?D] %9@D6 H9@ FD6 A=2E7@C>D E92E >2:?=J 724:=:E2E6 4@>>F?:42E:@? 5@ 36EE6C]k^Am
kAm%96 a_ae C2?<:?8D >2C< E96 D64@?5 J62C 😕 2 C@H E92E ?@?6 @7 E96 t?8=:D9\DA62<:?8 4@F?EC:6D 2AA62C 😕 E96 E@A `_] %96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 😀 2E abC5 A=246[ r2?252 😀 2E adE9 2?5 qC:E2:? 2E ahE9]k^Am
kAm%96 C6A@CE[ H:E9 :ED 7@4FD @? D@4:2= >65:2[ 4@>6D 2E 2 E:>6 H96? >@C6 2?5 >@C6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^2FDEC2=:2\D@4:2=\>65:2\32?\F?56C\`e\49:=5C6?\g3hha672d`bgf_c34_a66h74hfc7ehgfQm4@F?EC:6D 92G6 32??65k^2m @C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^DA2:?\D@4:2=\>65:2\32?\49:=5C6?\F?56C\`eD\ff24d2a6a_fg7`fd35e`5373d25h563fQm2C6 4@?D:56C:?8 32?D @7 D@4:2= >65:2k^2m 7@C >:?@CD]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmvC:6D9236C C6A@CE65 7C@> q6C=:?]k^Am
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.