Sandra is feeling anxious and depressed. Her rent has just gone up again. She has no chance of buying a house. She worries about climate change. She hardly ever sees friends.

This is a common view of Generation ZPeople born between the late 1990s and early 2010s. . But while it has some truth, there is also a much brighter side to the story.

Generation Z is defined as those born between 1997 and 2012. It is so called because it is the second generation after what became known as Generation X - those born between 1965 and 1980.

In between the two is Generation Y (1981-1996), otherwise known as Millennials. And before them all come the Baby Boomers (1946-1964), who grew up after World War Two.

Around the world, there are two billion members of Gen Z. Britain has 13.5m and the US 68m.¹

AddictionA health problem in which someone does not have control over what they are doing or substances they are taking, to the point that it is harmful. to smartphones is seen as a major problem for them. The flipside to this is that they are digital natives - people who have known the internet all their lives.

That means that they are well equipped to deal with a world in which tech is very important. As a result, they are highly employable.

They are both more likely to have a university degree than their parents and to have a full-time job.

On top of that, they know that employers need them. This means that they are unafraid to demand better conditions, such as working from home, and to give up a job if they do not like it: they know they can get another one.

Youth unemployment in the developed world is now at its lowest rate since 1991: 13%.²

The demand for young workers is reflected in their wages. In the US a typical 25-year-old has a household income of at least $40,000 (£32,128). Adjusted for inflation, that is over 50% more than a typical baby boomer had at the same age.³

They are also gaining influence. In the US over 6,000 of them are the heads of companies and 1,000 hold political positions.⁴

Will you have a better life than your parents?

Yes: You have much more freedom to change jobs and live how you want to. As digital natives you can use advances in tech to transform the world rapidly, particularly with regard to the environment.

No: To have a hope of owning a house and becoming financially secure you have to go for well-paid jobs which are incredibly stressful. The pandemic ruined education and damaged mental health.

Or... It depends where you live. If you look at emerging economies such as India's, young people are obviously healthier, better educated and more prosperousExperiencing growth and success.. The same is not true of developed ones.