Finland Tops Happiness Report, Youth Wellbeing Declines

0:00Local headlines in two minutes or less, you're tuned in to Sydney News today. Finland has topped the World Happiness Report for a night straight year, with Nordic countries like Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway filling most of the top 10 spots. Costa Rica made a big jump into fourth place thanks to strong family bonds and social connections that boosted its ranking from much lower just a few. Years ago, meanwhile, the report highlights a troubling trend for young people under 25 in places like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New. Zealand, their life satisfaction has dropped sharply over the past decade, largely tied to heavy social media use, hitting teenage girls in Western and English-speaking countries the hardest. Australia sits at 15th now, outside the top 10 for another year, while no English-speaking nation cracked a list at all. Officials point to algorithmic feeds and influencers as key culprits, unlike in regions like the Middle East and South America where social media

1:02hasn't hurt youth well being as much. In response, more governments are acting, with Australia raising the minimum age for major platforms to 16, and countries like Denmark, France, and Spain, eyeing similar restrictions. Conflict zones rank at the bottom, like Afghanistan in last place, while Israel holds eighth despite its challenges. The rankings come from a simple life satisfaction scale, asking over 100,000 people in more than 140 countries to rate their lives from 0 to 10. As policymakers weigh these youth trends, the report underscores how social support and freedom keep happiness high in top nations.