Building blocks of happiness

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The popular image of teenagers is of moody, uncommunicative, introspective individuals enduring a rollercoaster of emotions. But as anyone who spends any time with young people will know, this is not the whole story. 

How happy they are, however, is a moot point, especially from an adult perspective – which is why research into happiness among 16- to 18-year-olds, by integrated consumer market research agency 2CV, makes such interesting reading. 

The agency combined quantitative and qualitative research: 500 girls and boys across the UK took part in its 10-minute, mobile-enabled survey – which had integrated behavioural science techniques to elicit impulsive, implicit feelings – and 14 young people took part in week-long auto-ethnographies. The research pointed to young people, by and large, being happy. Generally speaking, 44% feel high levels of happiness, 43% feel mid levels of happiness, and 13% feel low levels of happiness.

However, happiness is neither fixed nor stagnant at this age. Jane Goldthorpe, research director at 2CV, says: “This is a snapshot in time. In the teen years, happiness varies hugely from one moment to the next.” 

One teenager who took part in the qual research put it perfectly when they said: “We’re teenagers – one minute we’re happy, the next we’re sad just because mum didn’t make mac ‘n’ cheese.”

The research found that happiness is most fragile at the transition point of 17 turning 18 years old, when unhappiness almost doubles: 18% of 16-year-olds, 14% of 17-year-olds and 26% of 18-year-olds say they are unhappy. 

The transition into adulthood is a critical period, often combined with a geographical separation from their family, and it was the 18-year-olds who cite the highest levels of isolation, lack of companionship, feelings of being ‘left out’ and greater uncertainty about their future. 

Their high expectations of how ‘adulthood’ should feel also means the gap between the ‘real me’ and the ‘me you see’ increases for 18-year-olds. As a result, they scored lower on happiness levels they consider for themselves ( 4.3 on a scale measured from 1 to 7 ) than on what they said their best friend would say they were ( 5.0 ).

This perception gap comes from the ‘always on’ and ‘curating brand me’ attributes of today’s digital youth. There is a self- and socially imposed expectation and desire among young people to broadcast a portrayal of living a fulfilled and creative life. 

Using psychologist Martin Seligman’s seven characteristics of happy people – along with other areas of positive psychology, such as Tony Hsieh’s three types of happiness and the Fordyce Emotion Scale – 2CV explored in more detail the building blocks of happiness in young people.

Relationship. They are happiest when with other people – being with friends has the strongest influence and they get lonely and isolated very easily. It’s a case of quality over quantity and being with people who understand them. Strong relationships are anchored in physical time spent together – 80% of young people with low happiness feel isolated from others; 56% claim they do not have anyone they can share their personal feelings with when needed. 

Flow. This is about providing relief and sparking motivation – it’s something they can get absorbed in and zone out doing. Almost three quarters ( 72%) have an activity that allows them to immerse totally into a state of flow, and this remains high across happiness groups. 

Progression and achievement. Teenagers are constantly measuring success – for example, where they are, compared with their peers, and where they want to be – and uncertainty around direction causes frustration. Three in four of those with the highest levels of happiness are aware of, and use, their strengths and virtues. But as young people are still learning what their strengths are, any sense of achievement can be important at this age. Knowing what their passions are makes it much easier to progress.

Belonging and acceptance. This is an area where young people feel insecure and are trying to find their place in the world. Not being accepted can be a source of deep unhappiness, especially for girls. Boys have more opportunity to find a community, so they experience less social exclusion. Half of all young people do not feel that they belong to a group or community of like-minded people – this figure rises to three in four among youths with low general happiness. 

Positive mindset. An optimistic focus makes for happier experiences. More than half of 16- to 18-year-olds feel uncertain or anxious about their future – rising to 93% among those with low happiness. 

Exercise. Many young people are active, with two-thirds exercising weekly. Boys have the dual benefit of being both more active and more likely to be exercising with others – and, subsequently, they are more likely to feel part of a community. 

Caring and kindness. Young people want to help others, although it’s not as prevalent in their lives. They often want to give back, but don’t necessarily know how.

Overall, the core happiness characteristics for 16- to 18-year-olds were relationships, belonging and acceptance, and having a positive mindset. Rob Hartley, research director at 2CV, says: “We have not seen any evidence that this generation is hugely unhappy. It can seem gloomy because the ‘digital immigrants’ don’t understand the world of the ‘digital native’.” 

One interesting aspect that came out of this research’s qual work was how much young people enjoyed talking and thinking about their own happiness. “People really thanked us for being involved,” says Hartley. “It’s always worth asking young people how they feel and really listening to the answers.”

His overriding message was for adults to stop worrying about the online world in relation to teenage happiness and stop demonising social media and technology. For teenagers, it’s just another setting and they often talk about finding acceptance online; it is important for them in building relationships and maintaining a sense of belonging. 

However he acknowledged that it can be hard for teenagers to feel positive when everyone online seems happier than them. So teenagers – especially at the transition points – may need gentle reminders that what they are seeing is only the public-facing part of people’s lives.