As a matter of fact, a study from Prosper Insights and Analytics shows that a high level of happiness corresponds directly with a high total of time spent on this planet, with the Silent Generation leading the way and with Millennials tagging along at the bottom.
According to the study, the Silent Generation is in the happiness lead and it isn’t particularly close. The good news is that all four measured age groups are in positive territory.
Happiness percentage
* Silent Generation – 66.7%
* Boomers – 61.0%
* Generation X – 55.7%
* Millennials – 54.1%
Source: Prosper Insights & Analytics™
Prosper provides indexes for various aspects of life that feed into the total score. A score of 100 is par, a 105 means the age group is 5% above the norm and 95 means it is 5% below the norm. Let’s take a look:
Health
The older crowd is the happiest when it comes to health – which is exactly the opposite of what we would have expected. We suppose that it shows the level of satisfaction is weighted by individuals with realistic expectations. Here are the results:
* Silent Generation – 111.3
* Millennials – 103.7
* Boomers – 100.4
* Gen X – 92.5
Source: Prosper Insights & Analytics™
Love Life
Boomers take the prize when it comes to this category, while the kids obviously have some sorting out to do.
* Boomers – 103.4
* Gen X – 101.8
* Silent Generation –99.4
* Millennials – 92.9
Source: Prosper Insights & Analytics™
Government
The kids are the most satisfied with the government by a huge margin. Nobody else is, on average, and Boomers by far are the most dissatisfied.
* Millennials –138.8
* Gen X – 97.9
* Silent Generation – 93.3
* Boomers – 75.0
Source: Prosper Insights & Analytics™
RBR-TVBR observation: The value of this study is in the know-your-audience category. Your air staff can play to the proclivities of your audience with a certain amount of confidence knowing where they stand in matters of self-perception.
We frankly were a little surprised at the big lead in overall happiness among our esteemed old-timers. The senior set is well-known as the home of the dagnab-it, you-kids-get-offa-my-yard! crowd, and in fact, we have one of those in our neighborhood who is so good at it you’d almost think he invented the concept.
But it appears that such individuals are the exception rather than the rule – which no doubt helps explain why so many kids are so in love with their grandparents. And that is a very, very good thing.
