Many assumed material advancement would translate directly into emotional and psychological well-being. For decades, richer societies, better medicine, and rapid technological change were meant to make lives safer, longer, and more fulfilling. Instead, for the young, the opposite seems to be unfolding. The Global Burden of Disease Study reports that while mortality is falling overall, youth deaths are stagnating or rising across North and Latin America, driven by suicide, substance abuse, and self-harm. Anxiety and depression have surged. In a world of record wealth and medical knowledge, despair and neglect are becoming as lethal as disease. And it's not only the young — studies show that richer nations have higher rates of depression than middle-income nations.
Was it a mistake to assume that ever greater material success would drive satisfaction and fulfilment, once basic needs are provided? Should well-being be treated not as a material struggle but as a shared cultural goal of belonging, stability, and purpose? Or are material benefits the most reliable way to increase quality of life and well-being?
Was it a mistake to assume that ever greater material success would drive satisfaction and fulfilment, once basic needs are provided? Should well-being be treated not as a material struggle but as a shared cultural goal of belonging, stability, and purpose? Or are material benefits the most reliable way to increase quality of life and well-being?
