What makes people happy?....
PHILIPPINES - So you're between the ages of 10 and 20…. What makes you happy? A worried, weary parent might imagine the answer to sound something like this: Sex, drugs, a little rock n' roll. Etc……
Turns out the real answer is quite different. Spending time with family was the top answer to that open-ended question. Next was spending time with friends, followed by time with a significant other. And even better for parents nearly three-quarters of young people say their relationship with their parents makes them happy.
Other results are more disconcerting. While most young people are happy overall with the way their lives are going, there are racial differences: the poll shows whites to be happier, across economic categories, than blacks and Hispanics. A lot of young people feel stress, particularly those from the middle class, and females more than males.
You might think money would be clearly tied to a general sense of happiness. But almost no one said "money" when asked what makes them happy, though people with the highest family incomes are generally happier with life. However, having highly educated parents is a stronger predictor of happiness than income.
And sex? Yes, we were getting to that. Being sexually active actually leads to less happiness among 13-17 year olds, sex might lead to more happiness in the moment, but not in general. From the body to the soul, close to half say religion and spirituality are very important. And more than half say they believe there is a higher power that has an influence over things that make them happy. Beyond religion, simply belonging to an organized religious group makes people happier.
PHILIPPINES - So you're between the ages of 10 and 20…. What makes you happy? A worried, weary parent might imagine the answer to sound something like this: Sex, drugs, a little rock n' roll. Etc……
Turns out the real answer is quite different. Spending time with family was the top answer to that open-ended question. Next was spending time with friends, followed by time with a significant other. And even better for parents nearly three-quarters of young people say their relationship with their parents makes them happy.
Other results are more disconcerting. While most young people are happy overall with the way their lives are going, there are racial differences: the poll shows whites to be happier, across economic categories, than blacks and Hispanics. A lot of young people feel stress, particularly those from the middle class, and females more than males.
You might think money would be clearly tied to a general sense of happiness. But almost no one said "money" when asked what makes them happy, though people with the highest family incomes are generally happier with life. However, having highly educated parents is a stronger predictor of happiness than income.
And sex? Yes, we were getting to that. Being sexually active actually leads to less happiness among 13-17 year olds, sex might lead to more happiness in the moment, but not in general. From the body to the soul, close to half say religion and spirituality are very important. And more than half say they believe there is a higher power that has an influence over things that make them happy. Beyond religion, simply belonging to an organized religious group makes people happier.
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