Gallup’s new report on emotions reminds us: Life is what happens when you’re offline

The just-released report finds that people are feeling pretty good about their lives. Here’s one reason why that might not line up with your experience.

Last year was the hottest year on record in Earth’s history, with 2024 on track to match or exceed it. The war between Israel and Hamas is in its 9th month, and the civil war in Sudan is in its 15th. We’ve had mass layoffs in multiple industries while enduring the contentious spectacle of choosing the next American president. And our airplanes are falling apart in the sky while the people on board are falling apart too. What a time to be alive!