Study Finds Teens Value Family

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Study Finds Teens Value Family

Special Report - August 20, 2007
Teenagers value a relationship with their family as the number one key to happiness and are most likely to view parents as their personal heroes, according to the results of a survey of 13- to 24-year-olds released on August 20 by MTV and The Associated Press. The results are part of a seven-month study monitoring what makes American teenagers happy with their current situation and optimistic about the future. Overall, 65 percent of respondents reported being happy with their present circumstances. Twenty percent of teens ranked family and spending time with family as the one thing in life that makes them most happy, followed by spending time with friends (15 percent) and spending time with a spouse or loved ones (11 percent). When asked what activities or people make them feel very happy or somewhat happy, 72 percent said a relationship with their parents, while just 29 percent said their sex life and 7 percent said doing drugs. Teens were most likely to list one or both of their parents as their personal heroes, far above celebrities, sports figures, and politicians. The survey also highlighted the fact that most teens want to have a family of their own one day—87 percent said they “definitely” or “probably” want to get married and 77 percent gave the same answers for having children.

In addition to drawing a link between happiness and family relationships, the study found that teens who value religion and spirituality in their lives are more likely to be happy than those who do not. On the negative side, the study reported that 68 percent of teens believe the religious beliefs of others could be equally true to their own, compared with 31 percent who said they believe their religious beliefs are universally true and that other beliefs are wrong. In addition, 40 percent of respondents said that, aside from weddings and funerals, they attend religious services “seldom” or “never.”