Young people age 13 to 24 today are generally very happy and optimistic about the future, according to an MTV-Associated Press study conducted by Knowledge Networks in April 2007.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they were happy with the way things were going in their lives in general, and 62% thought they would be even happier in the future. Only one-fifth said they were unhappy.
"Nearly two-thirds of the young people surveyed said they think that the Internet, instant messaging, cell phones and other technologies make people happier, and 61% said those things make them feel closer to their family," said eMarketer senior analyst Debra Aho Williamson. "You simply cannot separate young people from technology; it is part of who they are."
Respondents generally said living without technology would be stressful. Nearly half of young people never turn off their mobile phones, even when they're trying to relax or "chill out."
Harris Interactive asked kids and teens in October 2006 what things made them happy. Having a PC made more than half of both groups happy. Mobile phones were more important to teens than to children.
When asked what activities made them happy, watching TV topped the list for 86% of kids and 72% of teens, above such also-rans as hanging out with friends.
The MTV-AP study took a broader view of what made young people happy, asking about such aspects as family and religion. Both areas of interest generally made respondents happier.
The eMarketer Kids and Teens report will be published in September 2007. Please click here to be notified when it is released.