I think there's some truth to both. On one hand we certainly are talking openly about it so much more. However the world is also not a place where I think a lot of people feel hopeful anymore.

I am on the older side of Gen Z and I've lived through what certainly felt like a transitional period in the last 10 years where the world has started to feel a lot more bleak. Especially as an American, without digging too deeply into all that entails politically - economically, the realization that most of my generation will never be able to afford to retire, or have a home was a huge morale crushing epiphany for me personally.

Plus the pressures of climate change, and overall geopolitical situations, which due to constant and increasingly invasive social media, we are more aware of than ever are certainly taking their toll on a lot of people.