What Do Millennials Think of Their Past, Present, and Future Happiness, and Where Does Their Happiness Reside?

Abstract

This study explores the perceptions of past, present, and future happiness and the sources of happiness of millennials, and the subgroups of late and early millennials, and male and female millennials. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 1,580 millennials from eight technical institutions in eastern India. An 11-step ladder was used to assess their past, present, and future happiness. Their sources of happiness were assessed by filling out 10 incomplete sentences that started with “I feel happy….” The millennials felt that they would be happier in the future than they were in the past and are at the present, suggesting optimism about the future. Similarly, early millennials expected to be happier in the future than late millennials. The content analysis of the responses suggested that the happiness of millennials resided in interpersonal relationships, leisure activities, positive self-evaluation, achievements, comfort, prosocial behaviors, food, recognition, adventure, and material possessions. The sources of happiness of late millennials were mainly in interpersonal-focused behaviors and early millennials in self-focused behaviors; male millennials in interpersonal-focused behaviors, instrumental behaviors, and outdoor activities, and female millennials in expressive acts, indoor activities, and, achievement-oriented behaviors. Findings support the positive-activity model and folk theories.