World's Happiest Countries

This topic relates to this course because most of the countries that are commonly considered the happiest are in Northern Europe, which is part of the Western World. Additionally, I can research how this affects other parts of western world, and how the different nations of the west are different. This could lead to information on why some nations are happier than others, and what that means for the western world. We are studying the western world in this class, and I will be doing a lot of research on western happiness.

Hetter, K. (2019, March 26). World's Happiest Countries for 2019 Revealed. Retrieved from  https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/worlds-happiest-countries-united-nations-2019/index.html 

Summary:

Finland was rated the happiest country in the world last year, followed by Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and the Netherlands. The report for world happiness was released by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network for the United Nations. The report ranks countries based on six criteria: income, freedom, trust, healthy life expectancy, social support and generosity. These are meant to be considered the factors that influence well being. In Finland, they enjoy a lot of unique activities, including ice swimming. Finland’s immigrants were also the happiest immigrants in the world. They pay high taxes, trust the government, and are all nice to each other. Many of the top five happiest countries switch around every year because they are so close to each other. The U.S. was in 19th place, and has been dropping. Addiction is one leading factor in this. Social media rising in popularity also leads to more anxiety, weakening social connections. The United Nations made March 20 “World Happiness Day” in 2012, and releases reports on this date each year.

What I Learned:

I learned that most of the world’s happiest countries are in North Europe, and the United Nations are the ones who create the study and release data about the world’s happiness. I now wonder when they collect this data, and how. I also did not know that they use the six criteria to decide what countries are happiest, which would be a good next step to research. Though unrelated, I thought it was a little crazy that they ice swim in Finland, because I don’t know how that’s enjoyable. Lastly, I would like to find out what makes Finland so successful, and why the U.S. is not.

Sorensen, M. S. (2018, August 26). In World's 'Happiest' Countries, Signs of a Happiness Gap. Retrieved from  https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/26/world/europe/nordic-countries-happiness.html 

Summary:

Nordic countries regularly show up as the happiest nations in the world, but this covers up the difficulties that a big part of the population have. In the five Nordic countries, “an average of 12.3 percent of the population is struggling or suffering,” according to the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen. There is an uneven distribution of happiness. The report had people rate their life satisfaction from 0 to 10. Seven and up were considered thriving, five or six were struggling, four or lower were suffering. Most responses were 7-9. There is a complicated social system in these countries, meaning there is less pressure on education, healthcare and jobs. They have some of the highest taxes, meaning schools and hospitals are free, there is very nice parental leave, and helpful elder care and unemployment benefits. This all means there is expectations and pressure for the community. “In Sweden, the number of people with depression increased 20 percent in 10 years,” the National Board on Health and Welfare said. It is mostly rising across younger people. “In Denmark, people ages 16 to 24 are more lonely than are people in their grandparent's generation,” showed by a survey by Danish Health Authority of over 180,000 people. The use of social media could be causing a rise in depression, loneliness or stress.

What I Learned:

I learned that just because countries in North Europe like the Nordic countries are reported as happy, doesn’t mean the people are having a lot of problems. More and more people are saying that they actually aren’t happy, which is probably also happening worldwide. It’s interesting that there is this social pressure for everyone to be happy in these countries, which I would like to learn more about. I also am curious about how the people of these countries feel about the high taxes, because they do get nice benefits, but that would be very controversial in a place like the U.S. The social benefits of these countries do sound extremely nice, and it seems to be working for them. I imagine this is because they are smaller countries that can handle it better.

Cappiello, E. (2020, February 3). Surprising Things the World's 5 Happiest Countries Have in Common. Retrieved from  https://www.rd.com/culture/happiness-worlds-happiest-countries-have-in-common/ 

Summary:

In the happiness report from the United Nations, these are the five things they use to rate happiness, that the top countries are all doing well in: Income, High Life Expectancy, Freedom, Trust, and Priorities. More money isn’t always better, but more about equal health care and education access. These “add to a sense satisfaction and contentment.” The highest countries of happiness also have the highest life expectancy, which also ties into the healthcare system. The report also said “there is much evidence that those who have happier lives are likely to live longer, be more trusting, be more cooperative, and be generally better able to meet life’s demands.” The freedom aspect means that people have the freedom to make choices in life with work, relationships, etc. Trust in the government and in other people is also very important, especially with clear political processes and no corruption. If there is good access to social systems that also really helps. Stress levels are also lowered with low crime rates. Lastly, people in the top happy countries prioritise “education, work, mental well-being, and family life far ahead of concerns like personal status, income, and consumerism.”

What I Learned:

I now learned what the factors really mean that contribute to the world’s happiness. Having more money doesn’t necessarily equal more happiness. Having good access to social systems like healthcare and benefits greatly improves happiness. Not to a surprise, the government allowing free choices about what you do also makes people happy. Being able to trust the government and having the choice over almost anything in your life brings a lot of enjoyment to most people. It makes sense that low crime raises happiness, but I was a little surprised about the priorities section. People in happy countries have their priorities in line, and make sure to take into account things like mental well-being and their family life, to be less about themselves.

Finn, E. (2017, November 24). What makes a country happy? Retrieved from  https://theindependent.ca/2017/11/24/makes-country-happy/ 

Summary:

There are two studies every year that measure happiness. The United Nations reports how people in each country see their own lives, and Gallup’s Global Emotions Report studies how people live their lives in each country. The United Nations researchers “say that most people’s happiness is driven by strong economic growth, healthy life expectancy, trust, generosity, quality social relationships, and the freedom to live and work as they prefer.” These factors are more involved with how the country’s government and cultural values work. Gallup’s poll finds that richer countries are not always happier, and poorer countries are not always unhappy. “When countries are assessed on the basis of how their citizens live their lives through experiences such as smiling and laughing, being treated with respect, doing work they enjoy, having an adequate income, a sense of purpose, and close social relationships, the happiest people are living in Latin American countries.” Central America is ranked higher on this poll even though they are generally poorer than a lot of the other countries. This is because their governments work for the public interest. They try to “maximizing their citizens’ equality, security, health and living standards (hence their happiness), and minimizing their ill-health, poverty, and stress.” These countries do not work with big corporations, have fair taxes, and try to stop political corruption.

What I Learned:

I learned even further that a country having money does not have to do with happiness levels. It can help contribute, but there are a lot of other factors too. Some of the happiest people are happy because they feel safe, and are nice to each other. They like their lives and what they do, and feel like they fit into society. I think this sense of belonging is extremely important for society. The happier countries have governments that care about their citizens, and try to make the country an enjoyable place to live.

Springer. (2014, March 17). Study sheds light on how cultures differ in their happiness beliefs. Retrieved from  https://phys.org/news/2014-03-cultures-differ-happiness-beliefs.html 

Summary:

There is a belief that happiness causes bad things to happen to you. Different cultures have different reactions to well-being, satisfaction, happiness. For some people, happiness is not as an important value as it is to other people. If you live in a culture that does not appreciate happiness as much, then you are discouraged from trying to be happy. Happiness is more valued in the western world. In non-Western cultures, they do not appreciate personal happiness and valued emotion. Most cultures do not focus on happiness, and believe that extreme happiness leads to unhappiness and negative consequences. These are supposed to outweigh the benefits of positive feelings.

What I Learned:

I have learned that cultures around the world think differently about happiness levels and being happy. Societies have many unique ways of being happy and what being happy is about. It is just another value to different parts of the world, and the western world varies quite a bit in this. Some parts of the western world value happiness, some don’t, and some are extreme on both sides.

South Sudan Is The Most Miserable Country In The World. (2018, January 19). Retrieved from  https://hotinjuba.com/south-sudan-is-the-most-saddest-country-in-the-world-report/ 

Summary:

This article is more about the unhappiest countries in the world, specifically South Sudan, which is the least happy country. Ever since the country’s independence in 2011, they have been in crisis. There are extremely high inflation rates, and the government is not running well at all. The United Nations warns that if tribal conflict continues, it could lead to genocide. There is a lot of conflict with the army and troops, and a third of the people have had to leave their burning homes to live. There are U.N. camps where many people live, but women are raped if they leave to look for firewood. Half the population (8 million people) has hunger problems, and the country could lead into even more crisis soon. The second unhappiest country (in 2018) was Yemen, which has had 10,000 civilians killed since 2015 in a civil war. It is one of the poorest countries, and millions are displaced. There are closed borders so not much can be done. The following country is Burundi, which is also extremely poor and turning into a dictatorship.

What I Learned:

I learned what is causing some countries in the world to be extremely unhappy. I’ve read a lot and learned about happy countries, but not about the ones at the bottom of the list. It makes sense unfortunately that South Sudan is at the bottom, because they have a lot of problems going on in the country. There is all kinds of disputes between the people and the government, including a ton of corruption. Unsurprisingly, all the unhappy countries are very poor, and the citizens do not have good quality of life at all.

Newman, K. M. (2019, March 20). World Happiness Report Finds That People Are Feeling Worse. Retrieved from  https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/world_happiness_report_finds_that_people_are_feeling_worse 

Summary:

In the 2019 World Happiness Report, it was discovered that negative and unhappy feelings are rising across the world. The United States specifically has a large addiction problem. A trend of worry, sadness, and anger are growing in the world, up 27% in the last 8 years. Happiness inequality has been rising, which is the gap in happiness and unhappiness. This is particularly true in Latin America, Asia, and parts of Africa. A theme in the report is the “sad state of happiness in the United States.” Adults have just been getting more and more unhappy, and adolescents are experiencing more depression, suicide, and self-harm. One of our addictions is technology, and screen time could be limiting social contact in-person. Half of Americans suffer from one addiction of some sort. Governments play a big role in helping people’s happiness. This means enforcing law, better regulation, controlling corruption, spending more on health care, and less on the military. Political stability also helps, along with less violence and conflict. Being confident in your government really helps with having a happy life.

What I Learned:

I learned that what is really causing the increase in unhappiness in the world, specifically the U.S. The government is a big factor, which worries a lot of people, mostly because of spending and budgeting. There is a lot of depression and self-harm in younger people which hasn’t been getting better, and all kinds of addictions. A lot of the world is either getting more happy or less happy, and it’s the same ones. Countries in North Europe are getting more happy, while parts of Asia and Africa are having unhappier lives than ever before.

After researching this topic for the story map, I learned a lot about what “happiness” needs for the world. I had always heard certain European countries like Denmark and Finland were the happiest countries in the world, but never knew what that meant. I found out that the United Nations conducts a happiness report for the world every year. They study each country’s income, freedom, trust, healthy life expectancy, social support and generosity. These factors are then used to generate numbers for which parts of the world are living and leading their best lives. Discovering the definition of our world’s well being relates to this class because almost all of the top countries on the list are part of the western world. Of course, defining happiness itself, and what the western world is, can be tough and differ from person to person. Though even by mapping which places the United Nations calls the happiest, shows us they are all pretty close to each other. They live similarly, have similar politics, and all get along with each other, and are all very nice to each other. These countries have completely different lives than other countries, and they’re doing it right, because the people who live here are said to be the happiest in the world.