Many Americans Fear Flying

A recent study conducted by JW Surety Bonds, an insurance company, surveyed the perceptions of 1,000 individuals. Among them, 230 belonged to Generation Z (born from the mid-1990s to the early 2010s). The results revealed that 49% of young people are afraid of flying.

In comparison, the rates for Millennials (1980-1990), Baby Boomers (1946-1964), and Generation X (1965-1980) were 39%, 40%, and 38% respectively.

“This fear of air travel seems to be particularly high among Generation Z,” shared Merritt Ryan, a researcher at JW Surety Bonds. He emphasized that no other generation exhibits such a fear of flying like this age group.

Image: Tâm lý sợ máy bay của người trẻ xuất hiện nhiều nhất từ thời COVID-19.

Lesley Koeppel, a psychoanalyst based in the United States, explained that during the COVID-19 period, anxiety among young people increased as many beliefs were shattered.

“People trust their parents as they grow up, but when Gen Z reaches an age of awareness, the pandemic strikes. The prevalence of crises and inconsistencies in many cases makes these children question whether they should trust social institutions,” Koeppel reasoned.

Koeppel also explained that many parents pass on their worries to their children, especially in recent years with the advent of COVID-19, wars, and cost of living crises. Generation Z has access to various sources of information on the internet, and the conflicting information often contradicts what they hear from people around them, especially when that information changes daily.

Furthermore, a series of aviation incidents involving the renowned manufacturer Boeing has also affected the mental state of the younger generation. In January 2024, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max-9 had to make an emergency landing after the escape hatch fell off at an altitude of nearly 5,000 meters, leaving a large hole in the aircraft and passengers scrambling to don oxygen masks.

In the same month, the front wheel of a Delta Airlines service aircraft fell off during takeoff. Then, in March, a Latam Airlines (Chile) flight from Sydney (Australia) to Auckland (New Zealand) suddenly plummeted from the sky, claiming the lives of 50 passengers. To this day, the aviation industry continues to face safety issues with the engines of Boeing 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner.

According to NZ Herald.