Unwedded Bliss
by Matt Cherry
The following article is from Free
Inquiry magazine, Volume 18, Number 1.
Young Americans are happier today than ever before. Despite widespread claims that
"Generation X" suffers more stress and insecurity than did their parents, new
research shows that Americans under the age of 30 report higher levels of happiness than
previous generations. And it seems that more permissive social and moral attitudes may
deserve the credit for this increase in well-being.
For example, in the 1970s, 14% of American men and women under the age of 30 reported
that they were "not too happy." By the 1990s, that number had fallen to 10%. By
contrast the reported satisfaction levels of older Americans had hardly changed.
What has put the extra sparkle in the eyes of Generation X? The researchers, economists
David G. Blanchflower of Dartmouth College and Andrew J. Oswald of the University of Warwick, report that the biggest jump
in happiness came among unmarried people. They suggest, "It may be that young men and
women have benefitted from society's recently increased tolerance of those living outside
marriage."
Secular humanists have often been vilified for their support and tolerance for
pre-marital sex, open and positive sex education, easy access to birth control, and
cohabitation. The religious right and social conservatives have long claimed that stigma
and discrimination against unChristian sexual behavior are needed for social well-being.
This new survey seems to suggest otherwise. Could it be that the changes in social
attitudes championed by secular humanists have boosted the happiness of an entire
generation?
Matt Cherry is Executive Director of the Council
for Secular Humanism.
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