Youths’ stuff of happiness may surprise parents

First comes love, then comes ...
Overall, romantic relationships are a source of happiness — but being in one doesn’t necessarily lead to greater happiness with life in general.

“It would be nice, but where I am right now is, I want to take care of myself,” says Rosales. “Before you can be in a committed relationship you have to know who you are and what you really want.”

Eventually, though, marriage is a goal for most young people, with 92 percent saying they either definitely or probably want to get married.

“I don’t want to be one of those career businesswomen who just doesn’t ever settle down,” says St. John, the New York high-school student.

Money, money, money
Money may make the world go around, but when asked what one thing makes them happiest, almost nobody in the poll mentioned money or anything material. Still, money does play a role in happiness.

Those who can’t afford to buy many of the things they want are less happy with life in general. Just under half of young people think they’d be happier if they had more money, while the same percentage (49 percent) say they’d be just as happy.

“I’m going to college next year,” says Fiedler, who will attend Drexel University in Philadelphia. “Not the cheapest thing nowadays. Money isn’t the most important thing, but if something happens, it can turn into it.”

Stresses, fears
Young people in this survey had a 10 percent higher stress rate than adults did in a 2006 AP-Ipsos poll. For ages 13 to 17, school is the greatest source of stress. For those in the 18-24 range, it’s jobs and financial matters.

Only 29 percent feel very safe traveling, and 25 percent very safe from terror attacks. Still, those interviewed said the fear of terror interfered very little with their lives.

Drugs and alcohol
Alcohol users are slightly less happy than those who don’t drink. The differences are more remarkable among 13-17 year olds; just 40 percent of those who drank in the last seven days reported being happy with life, versus 68 percent of those who didn’t. And 49 percent of illegal drug users reported being happy with life, compared with 66 percent of those who didn’t use drugs.

Racial divide
While 72 percent of whites say they’re happy with life in general, just 56 percent of blacks and 51 percent of Hispanics say that. And 66 percent of whites were happy at the moment the interview began, compared with 57 percent of minorities.

Sustenance for the soul
“I just like believing in something greater than me and everybody else,” St. John, who attends a Catholic school, says of her commitment to religion. “When I pray, sometimes it just makes me feel better, if I’m freaking out about things.”

Those for whom religion and spirituality plays a bigger role tend to be happier, according to the poll. More than half — 55 percent — say it is either a very important part of life or the single most important thing in their lives.

I need a hero
Oprah Winfrey? Michael Jordan? Hillary Clinton? Tiger Woods? All those names came up when people were asked about heroes. Of public figures, Martin Luther King, Jr. got the most mentions. But nearly half mentioned one of their parents, with mothers ranking higher (29 percent) than fathers (21 percent.)

“My parents came here from the Philippines in the ‘70s,” says Rosales. “They raised a family and got to where they are from scratch. My mother’s now the director of a hospital. I admire them both so much.”

“My mother is a pastor, and she’s my role model,” says Esohe, the 14-year-old in Nashville. “She’s so giving.” Blacks and Hispanics were more likely than whites to name their mothers.

Also mentioned: God (more than 10 percent), teachers (nearly 5 percent); and members of the military, police and firefighters.

The crystal ball
Will young people grow up to be happy adults? Overall they’re optimistic: Sixty-two percent think they’ll be happier in the future than they are now. (Those over 18 are more optimistic.) But many anticipate a more difficult life than their parents had.

“I think a lot about my kids and what their lives are going to be like,” says Fiedler. “There may be wars going on, who knows. I just have a feeling it’s going to be harder for the future generation to be happy.”

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