When Dreams Meet Reality: Exploring expectations, aspirations & structural uncertainties in the decline of happiness from youth to adulthood

This thesis explores why happiness declines for many young people as they move into adulthood. Through interviews and long-term survey data, it shows how hopes for the future shape their sense of well-being. As secure jobs, housing and economic stability become harder to reach, the gap between dreams and reality widens. This work suggests that to sustain happiness, young people do not need to dream lower but must dream slower. In this way, happiness is an indicator marking the alignment between aspirations and life’s trajectory. Declining happiness, then, reflects not just growing up but growing tension between hope and reality.