A major study published in the journal Psychological Bulletin indicates that economic conditions, such as financial crises and growing inequalities, are influencing a particular personality trait in young people: perfectionism, especially the anxious kind. The research, led by psychologist Thomas Curran from the London School of Economics, along with colleagues Pia Marie Pose and Andrew Hill from York St John University, analyzed data from 307 studies involving nearly 83,000 students from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. These students were surveyed between 1989 and 2024 using standard measures of perfectionism. All aspects of perfectionism have increased over the past 35 years, but not equally. The most significant rise has been in what researchers call "socially prescribed perfectionism"—the belief that others expect one to be perfect. This form of perfectionism began to increase notably in the early 2000s. Interestingly, this rise happened before the widespread use of smartphones, which challenges the popular idea that technology is the main driver of such psychological trends. The study found two distinct types of perfectionism, each tied to different economic factors. "Perfectionist concerns," such as fear of failure and indecision, tend to grow when income inequality increases. In contrast, "perfectionist ambitions"—the drive to set high goals and work hard—rise mainly when the average economic growth of a country slows. The researchers suggest that when economic opportunities are limited, young people may respond by pushing themselves harder to achieve success. Meanwhile, when wealth gaps widen, competition among peers increases, leading to greater fear of mistakes or judgment. The connection between perfectionism and mental health issues like anxiety and depression has remained consistent throughout the study period. This research builds on earlier work by Curran and Hill from 2017, which linked the rise in student perfectionism to the growing emphasis on meritocracy in higher education. The latest findings suggest that when addressing the mental health challenges faced by younger generations, it is important to consider broader economic and educational policies, not just the influence of digital technology.