Young Americans say the country is heading down a dark road and fear their futures are unstable, according to the latest Harvard Youth Poll out Thursday morning.

Why it matters: Financial insecurity, intense political polarization and the rise of AI are eroding Gen Z's faith in their economic prospects and public institutions overall. • The authors of the report, now in its 25th year, warn that this massive upheaval is threatening the country's stability. • "Instability is shaping nearly every part of young people's lives," said John Della Volpe, director of polling at the Harvard Institute of Politics, in a Zoom with reporters and students involved in the survey.

By the numbers: A majority of respondents (57%) say the country is headed in the wrong direction — a six-point rise from

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