It Sucks To Be A Boomer….
Just ask them. A researcher has tabulated results of "happiness research" has found that baby boomers are significantly less happy than their parent's generation are and significantly less happy than other generations historically.
While Baby Boomers struggle with rising mortgages and kids who barely know their hard-working parents, senior citizens are apparently having a ball.
About half U.S. residents in their late 80s report being very happy, while the figure for younger age groups plummets to a third or less, a new study finds. Another recent study found depression peaks at about age 44 around the globe.But things are looking up for anyone planning to hang around: Americans, at least, grow happier as they age.
The new study also found that baby boomers are not as content as other generations in other eras. Other findings:
African Americans are less happy than whites.
Men are less happy than women.
Happiness can rise and fall between depending on economics of an era.With age, the differences narrow.
"Understanding happiness is important to understanding quality of life. The happiness measure is a guide to how well society is meeting people's needs," said lead researcher Yang Yang, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Chicago. The study is published in the April issue of the American Sociological Review.
The research used data from "happiness research" - responses to questions about contentment with overall life gathered in the General Social Survey of the National Opinion Research Center.
Funny how that works, isn't it? The generation that tuned in, turned on and dropped out turned miserable as time passed. Their parents, however, just got happier with their lives. It makes you wonder how the results will be when the boomers pass into the so-called golden years.
By crosspatch, Wednesday, 16 April , 2008 @ 9:30 pm
Every pension program in existence is going to break under the weight of the boomers. Local, state and eventually federal government pension programs will all go under. Boomers are not going to have a happy retirement. As millions of them try to sell their homes at the same time to realize that retirement investment, housing prices will plummet. Then Social Security will go broke. And the politicians who caused it all are long since gone from office.
By Charles D Quarles, Friday, 18 April , 2008 @ 10:56 pm
Hmm, If 44 is the peak age for depression, then the Boomers are gradually joining their happier parents and grandparents. 44 is the age of the last Boomer year, 1964. It seems that it is the Gen X’ers that are having the issue with depression
.