Gen Z has completely transformed how India talks about emotions. While earlier generations hid their feelings behind words like “tension” or “shyness,” today’s young adults openly use terms like anxiety, burnout, OCD, delulu, and emotional exhaustion. Psychologists say this is not overreaction—it is emotional literacy. Gen Z grew up around therapy content, mental-health creators, and a culture that encourages openness instead of silence. This helps them identify their feelings better and seek support faster.

But psychologists also note a challenge: with more vocabulary comes more confusion. Not every low mood is depression, and not every fear is clinical anxiety. Mislabeling emotions is becoming common, making self-awareness important, but self-diagnosis risky.

Social media further intensifies everything. Constant notifications, comparison, and overstimulation make emotions feel bigger and louder. Yet, the same generation has created safe spaces-online and offline-where even older people now feel comfortable opening up. Gen Z isn’t just expressing more; they’re reshaping how India understands mental health.