What is a successful life? The teenagers answered this question, and it is sometimes confusing.
There are a thousand and one ways to “succeed” its existence. But it is difficult to measure the success of a life, as it differs for everyone. Some favor their professional ambitions, others their social and family circles. And if for a long time the success was inspired by societal standards, over the years, individuals have tended to think of the beaten track, by refocusing on their own desires.
This is why, when you ask for certain age groups their aspirations, the different responses depending on the generations. And for good reason: according to A study conducted by Deloitte66% of “millennials” (young people aged 25 to 35) consider success as a question of personal well-being and balance between professional and private life, while only 31% of “baby boomers” (people born between 1943 and 1960) share this vision.
But among adolescents, the perception of success is still any other. In September 2024, during a survey carried out by The Odexa Survey Institute for Acadomia1004 college and high school students enrolled from the 6th to the final year and 356 parents of students were questioned about their “dreams”.
Subsequently, the company became interested in their perception of success by asking them what “succeeding in life”, according to them. Parents and their children were entitled to three possible answers among a variety of aspirations: “to earn a good life”, “to be free from your choices”, “having friends to whom they have it and who want us”, “Create a family”, “find love”, “do good studies”, “make things change”, “be generous” and “be admired for what we have succeeded”.
Largely at the top of the responses of college and high school students, “winning his living well” totals 66% of the votes, against 38% among parents. A considerable gap, similar to that generated by the response “Create a family”, arrived at the top of the surveys in adults. On the children’s side, this percentage stagnates at 37%, behind “having friends to whom we hold and who hold to us” (43%) and “be free from his choices” (52%).
Independence also leads to parents (51%), far ahead of “finding love” (37%), located in the third row. With a 25% score in children and teenagers, it seems that the youngest finds it more difficult to project themselves in terms of feeling. Finally, “being admired for what we have succeeded” finishes good last – regardless of the age group – counting 6% in parents, against 10% in children.