White youths happier than others

[Little32]

When I wrote that I was not surprised, I meant that I was not surprised that a study would show that. I did and do wonder about the questions and if they were written in such a way to elicit a certain kind of response.


Example: Do you wish you had a BMW? (To which the answer might be yes, but that doesn't mean that I am unhappy about my Nissan).

I also agree that age and socio-economic class are factors here, which might speak to some of the disparity the survey documents.

Finally, contrary to what the media presents, there are a good deal of black and other minority folks out here that are happy with our lives, regardless of socio-economic status. I would ask the question of what the media has to gain in continuously representing our communities in negative terms.

[OneTimeSBX]

may i just say, my father retired as a probation officer here in richmond last year. 75% of his clientele was rich, upper class white kids who were dealing, using drugs, stealing money from their parents, and driving their parents BMWs under the influence...they lived in the best neighborhoods, attended the best schools, a few were the children of affluent drs, lawyers, and judges. are these the "happier than black people" white people? if so they can have it.

the 25% left, blacks and hispanics, were older, shiftworking people who rarely had time off, raising 4 kids in an ok area, and not as well educated.

now the question should be asked: what really makes a person happy? having it all doesnt do it for most people. breaking even certainly has its downfalls. what makes me happy personally, is being comfortable. if you are the child of a neurosurgeon who has never had to do anything for themselves, im pretty sure you are happy on some level. having to work at 14 to provide for your siblings while your single parent works 2 jobs of their own? not so much. its about more than demographics. i think they asked the wrong people.

[christiangirl]

I will refrain from rolling my eyes and saying "duh." I will....

Originally Posted by OneTimeSBX

now the question should be asked: what really makes a person happy?

Operational definitions are key.

[rhoyaltempest]

Originally Posted by OneTimeSBX

may i just say, my father retired as a probation officer here in richmond last year. 75% of his clientele was rich, upper class white kids who were dealing, using drugs, stealing money from their parents, and driving their parents BMWs under the influence...they lived in the best neighborhoods, attended the best schools, a few were the children of affluent drs, lawyers, and judges. are these the "happier than black people" white people? if so they can have it.

the 25% left, blacks and hispanics, were older, shiftworking people who rarely had time off, raising 4 kids in an ok area, and not as well educated.

now the question should be asked: what really makes a person happy? having it all doesnt do it for most people. breaking even certainly has its downfalls. what makes me happy personally, is being comfortable. if you are the child of a neurosurgeon who has never had to do anything for themselves, im pretty sure you are happy on some level. having to work at 14 to provide for your siblings while your single parent works 2 jobs of their own? not so much. its about more than demographics. i think they asked the wrong people.

You said it right here. Some Suburban well-to-do White kids have more problems than a little bit these days, but mostly because they create them. To them having "things" might mean happiness even though deep down inside, they may be wishing their parents were home more often and had more time for them. But this may not equate with unhappiness in their minds because all of their basic needs and beyond are met.

On the flip side, some children in the Black community may have come to view not having so many material things as unhappiness because they now equate happiness with having "things." Think about how the media flaunts the haves and the have-nots in our faces all the time. So I think this survey may not be accurate at all because perception is everything.