American families have an increasingly bleak outlook, and 4 factors are driving their gloom

Beth Greenfield

<p>Despite America feeling more divided than ever, <a href="https://fortune.com/well/article/how-to-be-a-good-parent/">parents</a>, at least, are on the same page when it comes to their outlook on the state of affairs for families in this country—as well as on the need for change, with 83% across party lines believing the government should prioritize policies that benefit <a href="https://fortune.com/well/2024/09/25/gen-z-boomers-millenials-remote-work-mental-health-employees/">younger generations</a>, according to new survey results published Monday.&nbsp;</p><div class="paywall-selector"></div><div class="paywall">



<p>But that doesn’t mean it’s all good news.</p>



<p>Parents surveyed by Lake Research Partners and Echelon Insights on behalf of <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/">Common Sense Media </a>painted a bleak portrait regarding the state of families across several categories—economic, <a href="https://fortune.com/tag/mental-health/">mental health</a>, <a href="https://fortune.com/well/article/rules-for-curbing-kid-smartphone-use-mental-health-crisis/">technology</a>, and connectedness to those in power. And a striking 58% of parents and 61% of children and teens said that for families like theirs, things in general are going just fair or poorly—although both groups are more optimistic when looking ahead, with 49% of parents and 44% of teens and kids feeling &#8220;hopeful&#8221; about the future for young people.</p>



<p>To find their answers, researchers conducted a pair of surveys, speaking with 1,300 parents and 1,100 kids and teens (12–17) nationwide, releasing findings on Monday in the <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/2025-common-sense-summit-report-full-web.pdf">State of Kids and Families in America 2025</a> report.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Below is a breakdown of the four main areas that are bringing feelings of doom and gloom to families, and where they say much improvement is needed.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic anxiety&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Nearly three-quarters of parents (73%) are concerned about children&#8217;s future economic opportunities, and 39% with children under 18 say it’s become harder than last year to afford the things they need for them. Looking ahead, two-thirds (66%) lack confidence that their children will be able to afford housing, and 62% are not sure they&#8217;ll be able to afford college. The youth surveyed, meanwhile, are more optimistic, with 68% saying they&#8217;re confident they will someday <a href="https://fortune.com/2025/03/17/gen-z-trillions-great-wealth-transfer-pay-hikes/">be able to afford a house</a>—despite <a href="https://fortune.com/2025/03/25/gen-z-neet-not-in-education-employment-training-higher-ed-worthless-degrees-college/">recent news</a> about Gen Z&#8217;s economic situation that aligns more with the worry of their parents.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mental health&nbsp;</h2>



<p>The well-established <a href="https://fortune.com/well/2023/06/21/teen-mental-health-crisis-started-8-years-before-covid/" data-type="link" data-id="https://fortune.com/well/2023/06/21/teen-mental-health-crisis-started-8-years-before-covid/">mental health crisis</a> in this country is urgent, with both parents and young people believing it deserves to be a top priority.&nbsp;</p>



<p>A majority of parents (54%) and 67% of kids and teenagers believe the mental health of children in their communities is just fair or poor. Both groups point to social media (parents: 28%; kids and teens: 27%) and lack of parental support and involvement (parents: 20%; kids and teens: 16%) as prime drivers of this crisis. Further, parents (48%) and kids and teens (54%) feel that schools are not doing enough to support students&#8217; mental health and well-being. </p>



<p>There is also a belief among parents that today&#8217;s kids and teens are doing worse than they were 20 years ago when it comes to the following:</p>



<ul>
<li>Their ability to be resilient in the face of adversity (52% say worse off)</li>



<li>Their ability to be independent and self-sufficient (55% worse off)</li>



<li>The foods they typically eat (53% worse off)</li>



<li>The air and water quality (60% worse off)</li>



<li>The amount of physical exercise they get (64% worse off)</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Digital safety</h2>



<p>Contributing to the mental health crisis and general negative feeling is the <a href="https://fortune.com/well/article/anxious-generation-researcher-social-media-youth-mental-health-crisis-criticism/">effect of technology on families</a>, with nearly two-thirds of parents believing social media has negatively impacted children.</p>



<p>Both parents and youth overwhelmingly support having stronger safety measures for young users—with 81% of parents and 72% of kids and teens in favor of social media platforms being required to display warning labels about potential risks to mental health and well-being.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Parents also overwhelmingly support requiring age verification and <a href="https://fortune.com/well/article/tik-tok-parental-controls-kids-teens-expert-warning/" data-type="link" data-id="https://fortune.com/well/article/tik-tok-parental-controls-kids-teens-expert-warning/">blocking social media accounts</a> for anyone under age 16—and although support is lower among kids and teens, a majority (54%) still back the idea.</p>



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<p>Also, perhaps predictably, about two-thirds (64%) of parents think social media has had a mostly negative influence on kids and teens, while kids and teens believe the influence has been more positive (40%) than negative (33%).&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Political leadership</h2>



<p>Parents in both political parties want the government to play a role in supporting young people and prioritizing family policies—including 88% of Republicans, 83% of Democrats, and 75% of independents. But they share a major lack of trust in government institutions, with 61% of parents and 61% of kids and teens feeling their voices &#8220;do not matter&#8221; in policy decisions.&nbsp;</p>



<p>And families across the spectrum are doubtful that leaders will come through for the next generation: Two-thirds or more of Democratic (68%), Republican (66%), and independent parents (75%) do not think elected officials do a good job of reflecting the needs, desires, and experiences of young people.</p>



<p>And that, ironically, is the good news—as is the shared belief of a solution, among 86% of parents, which is that better K–12 public schools would substantially improve children&#8217;s lives.</p>



<p>&#8220;These findings reveal that despite our polarized political landscape, American families are unified in their concerns and solutions for our children,&#8221; James P. Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, said in a news release. &#8220;Parents and youth are sending a clear message to our leaders: prioritize education, mental health, and digital safety. The time for partisan politics is over when it comes to our kids&#8217; futures.&#8221;</p>



<p>More on families:</p>



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<li>Why moms rejecting the ‘tiger’ approach turn to <a href="https://fortune.com/well/article/what-is-panda-parenting/">&#8216;panda&#8217; parenting instead</a></li>
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58% of parents and 61% of children and teens said that things are going just fair or poorly for their families. And the economy is just part of it.

The state of American families is bleak

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View the new Fortune 50 Best Places to Live for Families list. Discover the 2024 top destinations across the U.S. for multigenerational families to live, thrive, and find community. <a class="sc-19cc8fd2-0 kspHIT" href="https://fortune.com/well/ranking/best-places-families/?&itm_source=fortune&itm_medium=article_tout&itm_campaign=best_places_family_2024&itm_content=well_family_life" target="_self" aria-label="Go to https://fortune.com/well/ranking/best-places-families/?&itm_source=fortune&itm_medium=article_tout&itm_campaign=best_places_family_2024&itm_content=well_family_life">Explore the list</a>.

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