So, it’s not just me.
On the whole, it seems, Americans are a miserable bunch. So much so that we’ve fallen out of the top 20 in the World Happiness Report, according to a study conducted by a group of researchers.
Perhaps miserable is too strong a word but the point remains, when it comes to achieving that state of happiness—the kind that prompts you to clap along if you’re feeling it—lots of people are sitting on their hands.
Significantly more, given that the United States fell out of the top 20 for the first time in more than a decade.
Notably, researchers found that in the United States the largest decline was among young people. The Under 30 crowd is not as happy as they used to be.
It’s not hard to imagine why.
The cost of owning a home in San Diego County, for example, has steadily increased over the last decade while wages stagnated or barely kept up to cover basic living costs.
There is also the expense of increased college tuition, if someone wants to follow that route, or a dearth of jobs that afford a lifelong livable wage for someone not in possession of advanced degrees.
Environmentally, the world’s temperature is rising and industrial pollution make it easier for people to become sicker.
And while it appears the smart phones and social media apps that younger kids spend so much time with are providing them the kinds of laughs and smiles associated with being happy, that moment of mirth is as fleeting as a left swipe.
Of course happiness means different things to different people and the standards for that state of being change over time. And it also may come with managing expectations.
In Finland, the happiest place on earth (again!), among the reasons researchers found for their perpetually perky state of mind is the people have a strong social network, a proportional live-work balance, free healthcare and a sense of communal responsibility.
Sounds simple to me.
And basic.
Meeting a person’s basic needs: healthcare, food and housing seems like the easiest way to collectively achieve happiness. Why does it feel so hard and almost unobtainable?
