Are You Happy?
Finding the perfect spot atop a hill at the Boston Common to eat their beef empanada, a 20-year-old Suffolk University student watched as a mother sat down on the grass to soak a plastic wand into a tube of suds before letting the slight breeze form bubbles into the air. Delarose Mahmoud smiled as they watched kids laugh and chase bubbles in the greenery with the warm sun gleaming on their face.
“Isn’t it crazy that we’ll never get to experience that again,” Mahmoud said, motioning at the kids popping bubbles. “I’ll never get to be that young and free again.”
The United States ranked 23rd in the 2024 World Happiness Report, with Americans under 30 years old a main contributor to the eight-place drop since last year. Boston locals and visitors delved into the complexity of the emotion by connecting their well-being to social issues, financial freedom, and human connection.
“I have the privilege to feel happiness,” Mahmoud said. “I’m feeling it throughout life and that’s what matters.”
Mahmoud described their upbringing as privileged with food on the table and a roof over their head. Necessities were never at risk compared to the circumstances of low-income and homeless families, Mahmoud said.
Working in corporate America right out of college, 28-year-old Kevin Skutchan took a different approach to defining happiness. While he feels rewarded by his monetary achievements, the bureaucracy of his remote job in Orlando, Florida leaves him dissatisfied, said Skutchan.
“There comes a point where there’s a disconnect from your success and happiness,” Skutchan said. “You learn to find happiness in the little things when you’re unfulfilled in your work.”
A Switzerland native recently came to terms with his finance-free life after a new-found inheritance. 43-year-old Patrick Belleo woke up with gratitude, but not only for his material possessions.
“I know my living quality is pretty high in terms of money, but I think the most precious thing is connecting with people,” said Belleo.
Switzerland ranked ninth in the World Happiness Report, indicating higher quality of life in terms of social support, health life expectancy, and Gross Domestic Product per capita.
Making little eye contact, 14-year-old Zora felt conflicted in her state of happiness, feeling pressure from the connections she’s made at school. Skipping a grade and transitioning to high school with her class of 42 students made her feel out of place, Zora said.
“I feel like I’m still a pretty happy person out of all my friends,” said Zora. “I just feel sad a lot of the time because I don’t know where I fit in.”
Smiling with a camera slung over his neck, 22-year-old Max Brunner had a blunt answer to whether he was happy—no. Advocating for social issues within a politically divided nation gave him a sense of hopelessness, Brunner said.
“It’s come to a point where I ask myself if this is a country I want to live in at 30,” Brunner said.
