So what really makes someone between the ages of 13 and 24 happy? It's not what most parents or even MTV might think.
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(Photo: AP Images / Dale Sparks)Hundreds of people wait outside the Illusion Nightclub in downtown Morgantown, W.Va., Saturday, Aug. 18, 2007. The club is a popular spot for West Virginia University students. West Virginia University was ranked as the nation's No. 1 party school in the annual survey by The Princeton Review.
According to an extensive survey, spending time with family makes the young cohort happiest. Next was spending time with friends and then a significant other.
The survey was conducted on 1,280 people by The Associated Press and MTV. Results showed that 65 percent of America's young people are happy with their lives and 62 percent think greater happiness will come later.
The relationship with their parents was mentioned by 73 percent of survey respondents when asked what one thing makes them most happy. And those with divorced parents were less likely to wake up happy compared to teens with parents still together.
Nearly half also mentioned one of their parents as their heroes with mothers ranking higher (29 percent) than fathers (21 percent), according to the study. Of public figures, Martin Luther King, Jr. was mentioned the most.
After family, relationships with friends was mentioned most. And romantic relationships was also a source of happiness.
Among those who cite spirituality as the most important thing in their lives, a larger majority report being happy with life (80 percent) compared to those who say spirituality is not an important part of life (60 percent). Religion and spirituality are integral to nearly half of America's young people (44 percent). More than half say they believe there is a higher power that has an influence over things that make them happy (62 percent).
Simply belonging to an organized religious group makes people happier. Thirty-five percent said they attend religious services at least once a week. Living a religious life is at least "somewhat important" to 64 percent of young Americans. Also, 72 percent said making a difference in the world is at least "somewhat important."
Less than half strongly believe that their religious beliefs are true and universal and that other religious beliefs are not right (31 percent), while 68 percent follow their own religious beliefs but think that other religious beliefs could be true as well.
While most young people mentioned money as a top goal, almost none mentioned money or anything material as something that makes them happiest. But financial woes were mentioned as a source of unhappiness. Financial issues was mentioned most as the one thing in life that makes them most unhappy. Forty-nine percent think they'd be happier if they had more money. At the same time, 49 percent also said they'd be just as happy with more money.
Also, more than half said they think their career will be very important to their future happiness (56 percent).
While parents worry over a sexualized culture, sex was one of the least mentioned things that make America's young people most happy. Being sexually active actually leads to less happiness among 13-17 year olds, according to the survey. For those 18 to 24, sex might lead to more happiness in the moment, but not in general.
"You know what's really surprising is that this poll really flies in the face of some of these cultural values that MTV is pushing on kids," said Dr. Bill Maier, vice president and psychologist in residence at Focus on the Family, according to the organization's publication, CitizenLink. "MTV would say that kids just want pleasure and material goods, and they're not interested in marriage or commitment and they reject their parents."
Most young people think marriage would make them happy (85 percent) and 92 percent said they either definitely or probably want to get married. Most also want to have kids. In other findings, the poll revealed that whites were happier across economic categories than blacks and Hispanics.
The AP-MTV poll was conducted April 16-23 by Knowledge Networks Inc.
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this article's a shocker..really..& i'm happy about it..indeed, God works through the inside..teens might appear happy but deep inside is a longing for something real that would bring genuine joy..i hope & pray that in time, they would realize that more than families & friends, it's Jesus that would truly bring happiness..not just for the Americans but for every young people of the world..
I was really interested in the wide scope of the servey. But, as a father (and, by default, one of those "competitive" males), I was most taken by the 29 to 21 edge the poll made about mothers being seen as personal heroes and role models. An honest appraisal of family life might help dads see why we've fallen behind. Perhaps, we need some Knute Rockne style of pep-talk to get us back into the parenting role. Such a half-time talk might sound like ...
"Men, we have reasons to know why we're on the short end of the score. There is more than one reason why our special day in June seems like a shallow rip-off of the real important holiday in May. I know you've seen the Staples 'Cheerleading back to school' commercial where dad look like a total idiot. Stand tall gentlemen. We know where we've made our mistakes, believing our work-a-day world method of family support merely keeps us away from the people we're trying to support. Bringing home the paycheck, important as you may view it, is a sorry substitute for being the moral backbone, loving your family on the spot, when there's troubles. Dads, I think you are a better parent if your children know how you look like.
"Men, we have a second half to play (aka the rest of your life). We need to go out and be a father with a passion. Live the faith, not just talk the faith. Be there to be that positive force in a child's life, even if that positive is a gentle 'no' to a child who wants to do some you know deep down inside s/he'll regret later.
"Now, go out there and win one for the Gipp ... Check that thought. Go out and win one for your children."
The results of this survey make very interesting reading indeed about young peopkle in America. It is wonderful to know that many of them are happy with their lives, they are happy with their parents and families, they want to get married some day, they could do with more pocket money [like my daughters], they belive in God [but need help in that area], they go to church once a week [better than many of my friends and family] and sex is not really a big deal! Those of us looking on from outside the USA have been confused about the things we read about regularly, and we thought you might be losing this generation to godlessness. Praise God .
You guys are right. Reread the money/happiness questions on this poll. There is no doubt that those whoe were polled depend on money for their happiness. I really believe that they don't know what they want and that they were trying to "sound right" in providing the answers that they did.
Jeremiah 29:13
What caught my attention is that 68% follow thier own beliefs but think that other beliefs are true as well- that is scary. Do they know what they believe in?
I really think it's the 'word of God' that can bring us true joy. Nothing else can bring eternal joy and everlasting one without His help and love