916: 2p
Shu 8
Rui Shu
English 102
Essay #3
05/04/2019
HAPPINESS AND AGING
Happiness is a very important construct in modern day society. It is a factor that people pursue relentlessly throughout their lives. Among the strategies through which people pursue happiness is by starting a family or going after a career that they feel challenges them in a positive way. Despite all these methods and many more happiness is a factor that has remained elusive for a number of people. There is no universal formula to happiness and the very concept of it is relative based on the interests of an individual. As an individual ages their level of happiness increases. The current younger generation has an objectively worse youth and a relatively bleaker future than their parents and grandparents leading to happiness levels among the young being much lower than among the old. Comment by Wendy Schoener: See my end comments. Your thesis makes an important point, but it surprised me since the rest of the intro was very general and didn’t seem to be about a great difference between 2 generations.
The current modern day society is youth centric. This means that many integral factors of the society are driven by the youth population. Examples include the economy. To this effect the youth are usually the focus of legislation as well as a number of mainstream topics of discussion such as education and the growth of the economy. However, despite this unprecedented degree of focus on the youth it is undoubtable that the level of happiness is directly proportional to the age of an individual. This means that the older a person gets the happier they become (Kluger). This translates to older members of the society being happier that younger members of the society. The current generation of youth has less to look forward to than their parents and grandparents at relatively the same age hence the disparity in happiness levels. Comment by Wendy Schoener: I’m not sure about this. Hasn’t it always been that resources and concern are spent on preparing the next generation to lead the nation? Kluger says that happiness is U-shaped, with middle age, not youth, being the least happy time. Comment by Wendy Schoener: I think this is your thesis, and it is compelling. But it is not what I expected when I began the intro. You can this a little bit differently so that the reader understands that the truism of older people being happier may not apply because something has fundamentally changed.
Human beings usually derive a sense of satisfaction from their achievements. This satisfaction can translate to happiness. Members of the older generations have more achievements based on the fact that they have been alive longer. Some of them feel like they have lived fulfilling lives and have loving families. The fact that their children are all grown also means that they no longer have to suffer the financial and social burden of raising children. This is not the case for members of the younger generations. They do not have an overwhelming sense of achievement as members of the older generations do (Kluger). They are also living in the social media age meaning that they compare their achievements to that of their peers and may at times feel inadequate about themselves. They are under a lot of pressure to make something of their lives while members of the older generation have a sense of satisfaction over the lives that they have lived.
As people get older they accumulate a lot of information through experience and learning. They get to know the truly important things in life and the things that they should stress over. They no longer chase after goals that are too ambitious for them (Kluger). Instead they narrow their point of view to things that are clearly in their grasp. They focus more on what they can do as opposed to what they should do or what society expects from them. This element of foresight is usually lacking among members of the younger generation. They still have a wider view through which they see the world. They are also willing to go after what society pressures them to as opposed to what they really want. To this effect the younger members of society are less happy compared to the older members of society.
The modern economic environment is getting harsher for the current young generation. They have to deal with numerous issues such as student loans that are at a record high as well as sky high mortgage prices that limit their chances of ever owning a home. These are factors that members of the older generations never had to deal with in their youth. They managed to live out their lives without necessarily accruing an unprecedented level of debt. In the present most members of the older generations own their own homes and are completely debt free. They are also unecumbered by the prevailing economic conditions that are getting harsher by the day (Rogers). This means that based on economics alone members of the older generations are happier than members of the younger generation. They also had a better economic environment to thrive in than members of the younger generation.
Among the issues behind the relatively lower happiness levels among the youth compared to members of the older generations in finance. The youth are in a lot more debt and are projected to be in a worse financial situation than their parents and their grandparents. An example of this is tuition debt with Americans currently owing over $1.53 trillion in tuition debt (Nitro College). This debt is concentrated among young people who are right out of college as well as people who have been out of college for a decade or more.
The average student leaving college has a projected debt quantity of $37,172. They are expected to make payments on average of $393 on a monthly basis in an economy that does not necessarily guarantee that they will get good jobs after college (Nitro College). The fact that one cannot declare bankruptcy on such a debt is yet another issue that the current generation of young people has to contend with. The implication here is that this is an element of crushing debt that is concentrated on the demographic of young people. It is also a financial issue that members of the older generation did not necessarily have to deal with hence the higher rate of happiness in this demographic.
The issue of low levels of happiness among members of the younger generations is one that has to be tackled with a high sense of urgency. Happiness levels among this generation is not a superficial thing that can be written off. Rather it is a fundamental issue that plays into the general well being of this generation. It is deterministic of the mental health of this generation and the capacity of this generation to steer the society in the right direction (Friedman). To this effect the fact that members of the older generation are significantly happier than members of the younger generation is an area of concern that has to be addressed. Comment by Wendy Schoener: There is quite a bit of repetition in here. What if you instead said just once that youth’s low levels of happiness should be addressed, and then followed up with good examples. I think depression during and after college are both at record levels among young people in the U.S. today. I don’t know about China. Such stark facts are memorable to the reader.
There are several steps that can be taken to bridge the gap between the happiness level of the current generation of young people and that of the older generation. Among these is writing off student loan debt and returning to a system where young people can afford to go to college without incurring debt that threaten to cripple them financially for the bulk of their adult lives (Hess). With such measures in place more young people will be encouraged to go to college. There is currently a trend where young people are opting not to go to college. This trend is based on the premise that the financial debt that they will incur as well as the lack of guarantee that they will secure good employment opportunities after the experience places them better off if they do not go to college. This not only limits the knowledge base of the young generation but further adds to their relative sense of unhappiness. They lack the sense of prestige that members of the older generation have as a result of getting a good college education.
Economic assistance for first time home buyers is another issue that can help to make the younger generation happier relative to the older generation. Owning a home is one of the measures of success in the modern society. It is basically a rite of passage and marks the transition to full adulthood. The thought of never owning a home is quite a frustrating one for members of the young generation. However, the prospect of owning a home and receiving assistance is likely to give members of this generation an element of peace of mind and contribute to their general level of happiness. Comment by Wendy Schoener: This is all true but stays general. How can you make this problem really tangible to the reader? What do young people say about this?
A criticism of the thesis statement is the fact that members of the younger generations have their entire lives ahead of them. They are very energetic and have their whole lives ahead of them. They also have a higher sense of purpose since they are basically the driving force behind the entire economy and social order. However, older members of the society are forced to face issues such as their own mortality. As they get older their bodies become weaker and they have to face the reality that their lives may come to an end at some point (Stibich). They are also weaker and are unable to be as productive as they once were. Another criticism is the fact that times have changed. The idea of the young people having the same lives as their parents and grandparents is a romanticist notion that does not have a place in the real world. To this effect the realities of the current world have to be faced and the young people have to adapt appropriately.
The criticism is true in the sense that younger members of society are more energetic and by extension more productive. However, with this power also comes the responsibility of being in charge of the economy and social order. Some of them have to work very hard not because they love to but because their current circumstance forces them to. However, members of the older generation can truly focus on what is important in their lives. They do what they wish to as opposed to what they are being forced by the social set up to do. Comment by Wendy Schoener: Here, you are just saying that when people are the most productive, they are also living under much pressure and suspense. But that just seems like a fact of life. I think your better argument is that something has changed—that the young people of today will not enjoy an old age free of pressure and happier.
The idea of the youth having to adapt to the current time also fails when one looks at the financial system that currently exists and how it came to be. The massive inflation leading to the rise in housing costs as well as the rise in student loan debt are all issues that can be reversed. The government cannot adopt a laissez faire approach with the youth. Rather there should be strategic interventions aimed at helping the youth. The current reality is only a reality because the authorities with the power to make a change have been reluctant to do so. Comment by Wendy Schoener: We’ve always had inflation, though. It’s not a bad thing if wages keep up. You can say, even without a source, that the problem for today’s graduates is that jobs are few and jobs that pay a decent wage are even fewer. (And why is that? A choice of employers or stockholders?) Many college grads wind up working at a minimum wage job or in something outside their specialization. Others even have to do unpaid “internships” for experience. Specific examples of what happens will impress the reader and stay with him.
There is a positive correlation between aging and happiness in the sense that the older a person gets the happier they become. This has to do with the environment in which the older generation lived and the current environment. Older members of society may be weaker but they are also wiser. They have a narrower perspective meaning that they are able to focus on the things that are truly important to them. Their lives are less eventful compared to the younger members of society. They live calmer lives and are able to look back at their achievements over time. On the other hand the younger members of society have to face the pressure that is ahead of them in the form of ever rising expectations on achievement. They also have to deal with the harsh realities of a life that is basically unaffordable. They cannot afford things that should be basic necessities such as a college education. They are, thus, justifiably less happy than members of the older generation. Comment by Wendy Schoener: This is a general summary of what you’ve already said. Could you find one more argument for what is particularly terrible about the plight of young people today, something that will silence the critics of the young who say “everyone has it tough”?
Works Cited
Friedman, Zack. "Student Loan Debt Statistics In 2018: A $1.5 Trillion Crisis." Forbes, 26 Oct. 2018, www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2018/06/13/student-loan-debt-statistics-2018/.
Hess, Abigail. "US Student Debt Levels Set a New Record in 2018'here's How Much the Typical Borrower Owes." CNBC, 28 Dec. 2018, www.cnbc.com/2018/12/27/student-debt-levels-set-a-new-record-in-2018-heres-how-much-the-typical-borrower-owes.html.
Kluger, Jeffrey. "Why You Can Look Forward to Being Happier in Old Age." Time, 6 Sept. 2018, time.com/5363067/aging-happiness-old-age-psychology/.
Nitro College. "Average Student Loan Debt in the U.S. - 2019 Statistics | Nitro." How to Pay For College: The Complete Guide from Nitro, 2019, www.nitrocollege.com/research/average-student-loan-debt.
Rogers, Paul. "Finding Meaning and Happiness in Old Age." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia, 8 June 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/well/finding-meaning-and-happiness-in-old-age.html.
Stibich, Mark. "Is Aging the Secret to Happiness?" Verywell Mind, 22 Aug. 2008, www.verywellmind.com/aging-the-secret-to-happiness-2224100.
Rui,
This paper has a lot of interesting statistics and is persuasive in showing how different the experiences of the young and the old can be. I would ask you to do just one thing: make clear throughout the paper when you are talking about simple facts of life (e.g., older people have more experience and can benefit from that) and when you are talking about a changed reality for younger people. Your thesis surprised me, as I mentioned in comments, because the intro didn’t establish that this is a paper about two different realities for two generations. And, while your thesis is good, it could be even better if you make clear that youth are not only unhappy now (because they are starting an adult life) but may also be unhappy when they are older people because our economic reality has changed. Let readers know this right away, so they don’t feel surprised. For example, instead of seeming to accept (in your intro) that everyone aims for happiness by starting a family and a career in young adulthood, you can say something like: we have long accepted that young adults will go through a period of stress when they are beginning a family and career and then feel much happier in old age, but today’s young people may never experience a happy old age.
Then in the body of your paper, keep indicating when you are describing the “typical trajectory” of a life and when you are arguing that this trajectory may no longer be true for today’s young as they age. Use transitions or language that guide the reader.
Finally, offer explicit examples when you can. They don’t have to all come from sources. It is common knowledge today that young people leaving college do not always find a job that requires a college education. If you give a couple examples of what graduates have actually experienced, that will stay in the reader’s memory more than general statements.
Still, a good second draft.