I can't remember who once told me the word "fine" as in "I'm doing fine" is actually an acronym for F-d up, insecure, neurotic and emotional. The idea being that many people might say they're "fine" when they're really not. I thought about this after reading an article about MTV's latest "happiness" poll and what a a child and adolescent psychiatrist added as a cautionary note. The press spin on the poll (I haven't seen the actual research) is that young people are "happy" — in fact "happier" than last year — despite the tough economy. From the article:

The poll showed that 73 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds were generally happy with life, compared with 66 percent in 2007, even though more of them, including Lagrappe, think they'll have a harder time finding work, buying a house and raising a family than their parents did.

Compared to 2007 results, the poll, which included young people ranging in age from 13 to 24, showed respondents are less happy with the amount of money they have — 36 percent to 31 percent, with 53 percent saying they believe it will be harder to find a job than it was for their parents, compared to 30 percent two years ago.

Fifty-nine percent said they'll have a harder time buying a house, compared to 41 percent in 2007, and 48 percent said it will be harder to raise a family, compared to 36 percent in 2007.

Of respondents ages 13-17, 75 percent said they were happy, up from 65 percent two years ago and 72 percent of those polled from age 18 to age 24 said they were happy, up from 66 percent in 2007.

The psychiatrist interviewed added that the tough times could be heralding a return to less materialistic means of being happy, i.e. focusing on relationships vs. our addiction to material goods.  But he also raised the issue I alluded to in my opener:

Part of the reason for the disconnect between happiness and the new economic reality could be the definition of happy, Rosenfeld said.

"It's much too simple a term, and I think our teenagers and young adults are far more complicated," he said.

And, in this country, people may be afraid to describe themselves as unhappy.

My gut says this is probably more likely, or at least that there is a lot more complexity behind young people self reporting that they are "happy." As the psychiatrist said, "Everybody's supposed to put on a happy face. I don't find teenagers to be unhappy, but I do find them to be quite concerned about the future, quite concerned about finding their place in the world." mtvU's recent study of college students, which is available online, gives you an idea of how young people can feel both happy and optimistic while also being quite stressed.

For marketers, the message is to focus on products for youth that can make them happy on a budget. The message for anyone who cares about young people is even if they say everything's "fine," ask a lot more questions to find out what's really going on and figure out how you can help them manage the increasing amounts of stress in their lives resulting from the economy — whether they're happy or not.

For more coverage of youth marketing, go to the Ypulse Youth Marketing Channel sponsored by Youth Marketing Connection

Categorized under: Youth Marketing

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