Sex And Alcohol Top List Of ‘Happiness’ Factors, Facebook Ranks On ‘Low Happiness’ Scale

Having sex and drinking alcohol are the two most enjoyable human activities, according to a new study that implemented text messaging to crowd source happiness responses.

Carsten Grimm from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand used SMS responses to build a map of activities for which people found themselves to be the happiest. The researchers measured pleasure, meaning, and engagement, and, in the end, sex ranked at the top of all three measurements.

In second place was alcohol and partying associated with alcohol. While alcohol use ranked second for pleasure, they ranked 10th for meaning.

Low on the happiness scale were using Facebook and doing housework. Survey takers also found that commuting to work was not enjoyable, but caring for children was fifth in terms of happiness levels.

Some activities were not surprising; for example, respondents didn’t like recovering from sickness or going to lectures.

Here is the full list of top-ranked activities in terms of happiness:

1: Sex, 2: Drinking alcohol, 3: Volunteering, 4: Meditating/religion, 5: Caring for children, 6: Listening to music, 7: Socialising, 8: Hobbies, 9: Shopping, 10: Gaming

Low happiness or stressful activities include:

1: Recovering from sickness, 2: Facebook, 3: Housework, 4: Studying, 5: Texting, 6: Going to lecture, 7: Paid work, 8: Commuting, 9: Computer work, 10: Washing.

Studies in the past have pointed at low happiness levels for Facebook users because they generally view their friends’ lives as more exciting than their own. Facebook users tend to more openly share their happiest moments, which gives the impression that their lives are full of happy moments at nearly all times.

Do you think sex and alcohol are the two biggest human vices for happiness?