A survey on American happiness conveys uneasy truths

We are a surly lot these days, aren't we?

We don't need any scholarly research to know that, we can feel it in our marrow and see it with our eyes. All the trendlines are pointing frosty. But in case there were any doubts, we just got a dose of scholarly research.

Specifically, the annual World Happiness Report, and the news was appropriately glum. The United States placed 24th among nations. OK, you say, happiness is relative and 24th is not that bad. But 24th also is our worst ranking ever, one spot lower than last year's 23rd, which broke our previous worst record, not at all befitting what is supposed to be the world's greatest nation. And more than the numbers, sadly it just feels right.

There's a lot of negativity going around.

Democratic voters are angry that their representatives are not standing up to President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Republican voters are frustrated that the courts are stymieing Trump's agenda. Judging by recent congressional town halls, voters of all persuasions are upset about federal budget cuts and firings.

Teslas are being keyed and burned and egged, irate drivers are trading fingers on the roads, and now we're even outraged about Snow White. Lots of folks are mad that Disney's new live-action version features a Latina actress as the title character and uses computer-generated dwarfs instead of human little people.

Oh, to live in Scandinavia. Nordic countries as usual took the top spots with Finland at No.1 again, followed by Denmark, Iceland and Sweden. Maybe we should annex them.

If you want to get political about it — and, boy, do we like to get political — the highwater of happiness for Americans, 11th place, came in 2012 during the presidency of Barack Obama. This new low note is under Donald Trump, but in all fairness the Gallup survey that girds the happiness index reportedly took place last July — when then-President Joe Biden was wallowing after his disastrous debate performance against Trump, Democrats were freaking out about whether Biden should remain their standard-bearer, and Trump was surviving an attempted assassination.

But the survey is more haunting for the quiet truths it conveys.

Happiness, the report found, is not just a function of health and wealth. Community and support matter a lot, too. And you see that in simple ways.

Americans, for example, eat dinner alone more than ever — 53% more over the last two decades. That's not good because sharing meals with others makes people happy. Some 1 in 4 Americans report that they ate all of their meals alone the previous day. And while this is a problem in every age group, it's especially true for young people.

The survey also found that between 2020 and 2024, the number of young people who say they are free to choose what to do with their lives fell by 10 points. It should be no surprise that young people, defined as those under 30, are the principal drivers of falling rankings in the U.S. and elsewhere. They are among those who figure to be most affected by another happiness indicator — social support, and its relative, household size. In places like Mexico and Europe, the highest levels of happiness are found in households of four to five people. How many of our young adults are in such living situations with that kind of support system?

Our growing level of unhappiness is not concerning just because of its presence in a poll. What's worrisome is what it signifies, and what comes next. How will this unhappiness manifest itself? Buying plane tickets to go live somewhere else is one thing. Acting out is quite another. The study found that declines in happiness and social trust have lots to do with political polarization.

Let's hope we can turn this around. But helping people become happier through what we say and do would be better.

Columnist Michael Dobie's opinions are his own.

By Michael Dobie

michael.dobie@newsday.commwdobie

Michael Dobie is a member of the Newsday editorial board.