The Know Daily - Thursday 11 September 2025

_{Read in 4m 22s ∙ Listening to Gracie Abrams ∙}

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The legacy of TV presenter Jill Dando is inspiring a global campaign to empower one million young “reporters of hope” by 2030. From Somerset to Malawi, young journalists are sharing uplifting stories with confidence and compassion – proving that good news can change the world 🗞️

👵 The wellbeing age gap 

Mental health trends are reversing, with midlife adults faring better than young people for the first time.

What’s changing?
For years, researchers have talked about the “unhappiness hump” – a dip in wellbeing for those in their 40s and 50s, before things start looking up again with age. But new research says that hump has disappeared. Instead, it’s younger adults who are reporting the highest levels of stress, anxiety and unhappiness, while people in midlife and beyond are doing better than expected.

Tell me more.
Based on long-term surveys of 10 million US adults, 40k UK households and nearly 2 million people across another 42 countries, scientists found the typical U-shaped graph of happiness now looks like a steady increasing line. For those aged under 25 in the UK, there has been a rise in unhappiness levels for both men and women since the study started in 2009. More specifically, the spike has been stronger for women – from 4.4% to 12.7% – compared to a 2.3% to 6.4% shift for men.

What’s causing it?
Scientists say there’s likely multiple factors influencing a dip in mental health for younger people, including financial pressures of changing job markets, the influence of social media and underfunded support services. On the flip side, for those in midlife and older, they’re potentially experiencing more economic, social and emotional stability amidst growing awareness and initiatives towards improving life as we age. The tide is also turning on supporting and celebrating older women.

What are the solutions?
Here’s the good news: trends can change. Growing awareness of youth mental health means there’s opportunity to make a difference, including:

• Better mental health services designed for young people. The UK government has announced a rollout of more support services in schools to make an impact earlier.

• Smarter digital habits through taking screen breaks and curating healthier online spaces. Again for youth, this includes a proposed new 2-hour social media curfew.

• Support with job-seeking gives young adults more stability and hope for the future, especially amidst a tech-driven market. The UK government has announced £45m funding for its Youth Guarantee Trailblazer Scheme to provide more training and employment opportunities.

• Learning from older generations, who are reporting better resilience, can also provide perspective and coping skills. Now, around 40% of people in the UK are benefiting from intergenerational friendships.

The overall takeaway? Things look brighter with age – and that’s actually encouraging. If we put more focus on helping young people through these tough years, the next generation could inherit the same upward curve in happiness that older adults are starting to enjoy.

Tired of waiting around for your pension to move? PensionBee is campaigning for a faster, fairer system with a 10-Day Pension Switch Guarantee – so slow transfers can finally be a thing of the past. Add your name to the petition and help make it happen. When investing, your capital is at risk.

🌱 Habitat health check: The amount of England’s land in good condition for wildlife has dipped, according to new data.

• The bigger story: Sites of Special Scientific Interest remain the backbone of protection, but only a third are judged in “favourable” condition. Conservation groups say the findings highlight both the challenge and the opportunity ahead, with government plans for a 30% protection target by 2030 still within reach if political backing improves.

🪐 Life on Mars: Nasa rovers have discovered compounds in rocks on Mars that could be a sign of ancient microbial life on the planet.

👩‍🎓 Expanding education: The UK's first "super-university" is set to be formed through the merger of the universities of Kent and Greenwich.

🌍 Climate summit: African leaders are coming together to meet in Ethiopia this week for the Africa Climate Summit, focusing on a green energy boom.

🍾 Cheating on Champagne: For the first time ever, a sparkling wine from outside Champagne is taking home the title of world’s best at the prestigious International Wine Challenge. Can you guess where it comes from?

🏊‍♂️ Just keep swimming: A British swimmer, Ross Edgley, has become the first person to swim around the entire island of Iceland.

✨ Shifting stars: Apparently what we know as our star signs has gone out of date because the stars have moved (who knew?!). Here’s a nifty tool to find out what you should be now.

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Trivia answer: B) 90k items belonging to the singer have been taken out of storage and put on display.

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