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So you're between the ages of 13 and 24. What makes you happy?
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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 an extensive survey -- more than 100 questions asked of 1,280 people ages 13-24 -- conducted by The Associated Press on the nature of happiness among 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."
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 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, according to the survey. 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.
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(AP) |
如果你在13歲至24歲之間,什么能帶給你快樂?
一項(xiàng)大規(guī)模調(diào)查表明,對(duì)于這個(gè)開放式問題,最多的回答就是“與家人在一起”。該項(xiàng)由美聯(lián)社開展的有關(guān)美國年輕人“快樂本質(zhì)”的調(diào)查共涉及100多個(gè)問題,共有1280個(gè)13歲至24歲之間的年輕人參加。
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(rèn)為與父母的關(guān)系是他們是否快樂的重要因素。
紐約皇后區(qū)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(huì)一如既往的愛我。這讓我感到很幸福、很快樂。”
該調(diào)查的其它結(jié)果令人擔(dān)憂。大多數(shù)年輕人認(rèn)為自己的生活總體上比較幸福,但同時(shí)存在著一些種族上的差異。調(diào)查顯示,白人比黑人和美籍西班牙人幸福。很多年輕人感到壓力很大,中產(chǎn)階級(jí)的年輕人尤其如此;女性比男性的壓力大。
你可能會(huì)認(rèn)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(qiáng),但在被問及“什么能帶來快樂”時(shí),幾乎沒有人回答說“金錢”。然而,擁有高學(xué)歷的父母比收入高更能帶來幸福。
性呢?好,現(xiàn)在我們來說說這個(gè)。據(jù)調(diào)查,性行為活躍會(huì)降低13歲至17歲之間青少年的幸福感。對(duì)于18歲至24歲的年青人來說,性可能會(huì)給你帶來幸福,但并非每個(gè)人都如此。
絕大多數(shù)年輕人認(rèn)為婚姻會(huì)讓他們幸福,并且希望將來能結(jié)婚生子。
最后,當(dāng)調(diào)查對(duì)象被要求說出自己心目中的“英雄”時(shí),近一半的人提到父母中的一人或雙親?!澳赣H”以微弱優(yōu)勢“獲勝”。
(英語點(diǎn)津姍姍編輯)
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