Do you think people in general are happier today than they were a generation ago?

Answer 1

Nope, we are under too much stress. The less you had, the happier you are. . .I think people had time to be together as were not as isolated. I am not talking about the depression, as that was the worse time, but generally, I think people did not have credit cards, and did not dig themselves in the grave so much. If they did not have the money, they just did not buy it. People today have to keep up with the Jones', and do not want to admit they do not have the money. I would suggest to just say no as many times as you can. Do you have to have the fancy car, fancy cell phone, fancy TV set, video games galore. Take the time to visit with you grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters. Take time to be with your kids, don't work yourself on two jobs and be away from the children who are being raised by other spoiled kids, or gangs. Don't give them everything they want, and you don't' have to either. TIME IS WORTH GOLD. The other generation only had one car, took the bus, or streetcar. Sat out under the stars in the summer and looked at the stars, talk to each other, neighbor to neighbor. Learn from the older generation and do what they did, and you will be happier, plus won't have spoiled little brats on your hands. Try it.

Answer 2

We just have different things to be happy and unhappy about. Many people think we were happier in the past because they tend to only remember the happier times in their lives. This is especially true when we remember back to our childhood days when the summers seemed to always be sunny and lasted forever etc etc... but when you actually check weather records they were no sunnier than they are today... and didn't last any longer either!

There is no standard way of measuring "happiness" so you cannot easily compare levels of happiness from one generation to the next. All you can compare are various factual criteria which might contribute to happiness - divorce rates, crime rates, health, income, housing conditions, number of days taken as vacation, amount spent on gifts and entertainment etc etc. All this will give some sort of idea but happiness is a subjective emotion that "comes from within" and no amount of attempted measurement will give a definitive answer. If you are a person who is concerned about world poverty and terrorism then you are probably less happy, if your concern is income and affluence or longevity then you might be happier.

Answer 3

Good god no!!!

A generation ago people were happy to play in the streets safely. People were happy with 4 channels on their television.

We are a very selfish generation who want everything NOW.

We no longer have time for our family, so we just text them.
We're not happy with 180 channels, we need more.
Our kids have to entertain themselves with gadgets rather than playing games with each other.

I think the majority of this generation are struggling to keep their heads above water.

Sad but true :-(

Answer 4

things were harder for people in those days but because people were less corrupt and equal they were always happier deppresion hardly came about but today only the rich are happy materialy and not everyone cares for one another there are so many differences in religion politics is now a very dangerous game in thosedays a war never lasted for 21 years like in sudan .people r dying younger and quicker even 9/11 is proof the only person who lived the longest lived over 900 years he was enoch todaypeople hardly live till 180 this is a bad situation .

Answer 5

NOT NECESSARILY !

Older folks will say that the generations have sunken as far as their ethics, spiritual beliefs, respect, or sexuality BUT what is really the issue is that we have more media.

Our TV/Satallite/Internet broadcasts too much information. They tell us about all the wrong and not about the people that REALLY make a difference. It's because hype sells SO DON"T BUY INTO IT! -

Because of this, the answer to your question is NO. People are people and history repeats itself - ask any history major.

Answer 6

No I think people are more miserable and stressed mainly due to the increase of credit availability and debt problems and also the heavy tax in the UK and lack of being able to get a mortgage. Life was def easier a generation ago xx

Answer 7

No - 6 out of my 11 female friends have admitted to self harm on a regular basis at some point in their life, and one of them even tried to committ suicide. I don't have this attraction to morbid people, they appear pretty normal on the outside and happy in themselves, but when you get to know them, this guard comes down and the truth emerges. It is kind of scary, if they admitted to self harm, consider how many people who don't. Loads. The statistics are bad enough but they don't show the true extent of the problem which in my experience is far more severe then previously reported and I have worked in mental heath.

I can't see that previous generations were this unhappy. There is far more pressure to succeed these days.

Answer 8

Definitely...look at tubes full of older males and females...it is silent and everybody looks unhappy....while on a bus doing the school run...young males and females who are chatting, laughing, being happy. We are happier and the older generation are just putting us down, when they did more idiotic stuff back in their day than we do now.

Answer 9

No!
People today demand much more than the people did generations ago.
People many moons ago--worked for a living.

Today:
< not all people> People are lazy will not work and expect the welfare to take car of them...
Homeless will protest if not fed.
Prisoners: demand much although they are in jail..

Answer 10

People are generally much happier when they are needed and productive.
So those who are needed and productive are happy.