Introduction

If you’ve been on TikTok recently—and perhaps even if you haven’t—you may have heard about the viral new concept of a ‘‘silent depression’’ that’s apparently overwhelming younger people in the U.S. 

No, we’re not talking about the country’s mental health crisis. We’re talking about what a few TIkTokers are referring to as the dire economic reality facing ordinary people trying to make ends meet. 

The term ‘‘silent’’ refers to the fact that, on the surface, the U.S. economy is doing well. We are not in a recession; unemployment rates are low. And yet, people struggle to afford the basics more than they did in the past.

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