So you're between the ages of 13 and 24. What makes you happy?
Spending time with family was the top answer to that open-ended question, according to America's young people.
Next was spending time with friends, followed by time with a significant other. And good news for parents: Nearly three-quarters of young people say their relationship with their parents makes them happy.
\"They're my foundation,\" says Kristiana St. John, 17, a high-school student from Queens in New York. \"My mom tells me that even if I do something stupid, she's still going to love me no matter what. Just knowing that makes me feel very happy and blessed.\"
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 years old. If you're 18 to 24, sex might lead to more happiness in the moment, but not in general.
Overwhelmingly, young people think marriage would make them happy and want to be married some day. Most also want to have kids.
Finally, when asked to name their heroes, nearly half of respondents mentioned one or both of their parents. The winner, by a nose: Mom.
如果你在13歲至24歲之間,什么能帶給你快樂?
對于這個開放式問題,美國年輕人最多的回答就是“與家人在一起”。
其次的回答是“與朋友在一起”,然后是“與重要的人在一起”。令父母欣慰的是,近四分之三的年輕人認為他們與父母的關系是快樂的。
紐約皇后區的17歲高中生克里斯蒂安娜·圣·約翰說:“父母是我的根本。媽媽告訴我,即便我做了什么傻事,她也會一如既往地愛我。這讓我感到很幸福、很快樂。”
你可能會認為金錢一定能帶來幸福感。盡管家庭收入最高的人普遍來說幸福感更強,但在被問及“什么能帶來快樂”時,幾乎沒有人回答說“金錢”。然而,擁有高學歷的父母比收入高更能帶來幸福。
性呢?好,現在我們來說說這個。性行為活躍會降低13歲至17歲之間青少年的幸福感。對于18歲至24歲的年青人來說,性可能會給你帶來幸福,但并非每個人都如此。
絕大多數年輕人認為婚姻會讓他們幸福,并且希望將來能結婚生子。
最后,當他們說出自己心目中的“英雄”時,近一半的人提到父母中的一人或雙親。“母親”以微弱優勢“獲勝”。