This article analyses changes occurring in the life courses of young people over the past 30 years, ever since we have been researching the position of young people in Slovenia. The article focuses on the newest generation of youth. Based on Slovenian Public Opinion survey (SJM) data, we have examined their attitude to life and satisfaction with their living circumstances, and placed these data in an international context. Ourfindings show the high level of satisfaction and optimism of the so-called »millennium generation«. Our data are compared to those collected by German and Canadian researchers who have made similar findings. The growth of optimism and satisfaction with life seems to be a global phenomenon that belongs to the new social and ideological construction of youth in the modern world. However, in this construction of youth attention should be paid to the growing inequalities between young people. The global economic and political crisis is increasing the inequality of opportunities, establishing new, completely excluded groups of young people.