"You simply cannot separate young people from technology; it is part of who they are."
This was the conclusion that eMarketer senior analyst Debra Aho Williamson came to in response to a recent MTV-Associated Press study conducted by Knowledge Networks in April. Young Americans seem to be happy and have a bright outlook on the future.
Almost two-thirds of the 1,280 respondents said that they were happy with their lives in general, while 62% said they expected to be even happier in the future. About one-fifth expressed unhappiness with their lives now.
"Nearly two-thirds of the young people surveyed said they think that the Internet, instant messaging, cell phones and other technologies make people happier, and 61% said those things make them feel closer to their family," said Williamson.
Fifty-four percent of respondents indicated that the Internet was a technology that they could not live without. Fifty-one percent of respondents said the same about computers, while 49% expressed similar sentiments about cell phones. Television garnered a response of 47%, while microwaves (35%) topped iPods (18%).
Almost half of the respondents said that they never turn off their mobile devices, even during their down time.
A survey conducted by Harris Interactive in January showed that money was the most popular thing chosen to make both children and teens happy. However, while children valued video games, new bikes and toys, teens cared more for computers, CDs, and cell phones, displaying a clear trend towards objects that were more technologically advanced as children grow into teens.
Watching television was first on the list of activities that made children (86%) and teens (72%) happy.
Sources:
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2007/08/27/internet-
makes-young-people-happy
http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?id=1005297
Digg 
