MTV and The Associated Press today began releasing the findings of an in-depth, seven-month study into happiness and young people: how happy they are, what makes them happy and what they're doing to ensure future happiness. Overall the study shows that young people (13-24) today are generally very happy, optimistic about the future and have goals in place to achieve a happier tomorrow. At the same time, the results paint a complex portrait of today's youth, with happiness varying greatly along racial lines, faith and family playing an important role in the pursuit of happiness, and younger sexually active respondents reporting much lower levels of happiness.


The Associated Press today released its first report on the findings, offering an overview of the study's most compelling points and key themes. In the days ahead, the AP will more closely examine specific issues related to young people and their happiness, including racial dynamics, financial views, spirituality and stress/fears. Select findings from these and other areas are highlighted below. Full findings of the study are available on Research.MTV.com and Surveys.AP.org.