clipped from: www.star-telegram.com   

So you're between the ages of 13 and 24. What makes you happy?

A worried, weary parent might imagine the answer to sound something like this: Sex, drugs, a little rock 'n' roll.

It turns out that the real answer is quite different.

We are family

73% said their relationship with their parents makes them happy. After family, the young people mentioned friends most.

Happiness is

65% of those surveyed say they're happy with the way things are going for them now.

I need a hero

29% picked their mothers as their heroes.

Sustenance for the soul

55% say that religion and spirituality are either a very important part of life or the single most important thing in their lives.

Racial divide

56% of blacks and 51 percent of Hispanics say they're happy, versus 72 percent of whites.

Drugs and alcohol

40% of those between 13 and 17 who drank in the last week were happy, versus 68 percent of those who didn't.

Money, money, money