What Really Makes College Students Happy

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nikki Shasserre c: (734) 330-6710,

FOCUS Mission Communications

What Really Makes College Students Happy

Fastest growing Catholic Campus Ministry responds to report on “extended adolescence”

DENVER, Colo., August 21, 2007 People in their 20’s may have less control over impulses that lead to risky behavior, according to a recent USA Today article. A new study claims that neurological areas that regulate emotions are not fully developed until the mid-20s, leading to what researchers call an “extended adolescence.”

After getting national media attention, the leader of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), one of the fastest growing movements in the Catholic Church, responded.

"Even as these terrible statistics confront us, we still appear to be reluctant or afraid to address the root problems. Our culture has lost its way,” said Curtis Martin, FOCUS President and Founder. “We have wandered away from God and forgotten His wisdom for living a life of meaning and purpose; now individuals and families are breaking apart. God offers us forgiveness and healing, but we to need recognize the problem, ask for His assistance, and be willing to begin living differently."

The article, “Walking the tightrope of the 20s” points to alarming trends of binge drinking, sexual promiscuity, and violent crime continuing to occur once people have graduated from their teen years. It is reported that single young adults are more likely than married people to participate in risky behavior because “they have the freedom to do what they want without having to answer to anyone”. The article features college student Shannon Rea, "I think the early 20s are the new teenage years," says Rea, 26, a college student studying to be a history teacher. "There are no parents telling them, 'You can't do this.' It's pretty much a free-for-all." (Source: http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2007-08-14-risky-20s_N.htm)

"The perception that college is a 4 year long party pervades youth culture today,” said Sean Dalton, FOCUS Regional Director. “Unless a young person has developed the necessary strength of character to act responsibly with the freedom college life brings, it is likely they will act in accordance to their previous perceptions."

Dr. James B. Stenson, an education consultant specializing in family life, cites similar trends of “extended adolescence” but points to a broken culture, not delayed brain development, as the main culprit. In his article titled, “Danger Signs: Families Headed for Danger”, Dr. Stenson reflects on current state of young adults:

“We look around in our workplaces and neighborhoods and see young people in their 20's who are immature and irresolute, soft and irresponsible, uneasy about themselves and their futures. They may be technically skilled in some field and hold down decently paying jobs, but their personal lives and marriages are a wreck.” Stenson continues,

“In their conduct and attitudes, these young people seem permanently stuck in adolescence, that dangerous mixture of adult powers and childlike irresponsibility….It's clear, certainly, that many young people like this were wounded by a childhood spent in dysfunctional families: drug and alcohol dependency, physical and sexual abuse, hopeless poverty.” (Source: http://parentleadership.com/signs.html)

While the USA Today article highlights patterns of risky behavior by a large number of young people, it does not show that these decisions are leading to satisfied lives. In contrast, a new poll conducted by the Associated Press and MTV shows that “family ties, faith, and belonging” are three main factors that bring people ages 13-24 the most happiness. (Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20322621/wid/11915773?GT1=10316)

1,280 participants were asked more than 100 questions about what makes them happy. Surprisingly to those conducting the study, almost no one said “money”. Other key findings include:

Being sexually active actually leads to less happiness among 13-17 year olds, according to the survey. If you’re 18 to 24, sex might lead to more happiness in the moment, but not in general.

92% of those polled said they “definitely or probably want to get married.”

Close to half say religion and spirituality are very important. And more than half say they believe there is a higher power that has an influence over things that make them happy. Beyond religion, simply belonging to an organized religious group makes people happier.

“Ours is a generation for whom ‘quick thrills’ have become acceptable. Yet, we are not satisfied with quick thrills. There is a re-awakening in our world today of young people want something that is more fulfilling.” said Matt McCartney, FOCUS Campus Director at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

“Something inside each of us knows that we were made to serve something larger than ourselves. Young people are introduced to the person of Jesus Christ and recognize that this is precisely what they are made for,” FOCUS Founder and President Curtis Martin said.

ABOUT FOCUS: FOCUS is a national student outreach organization serving both secular and Catholic college campuses. FOCUS brings the teachings of Christ and the faith and moral traditions of the Catholic Church to college students, giving them the tools to help share those teachings with their friends and family. The organization’s primary objective is to form communities on college campuses nationwide where students can follow Jesus Christ and live out their Catholic faith in environments that are often hostile to such beliefs. www.focusonline.org

Media Note: To interview Curtis Martin or Sean Dalton, please contact FOCUS at (970) 336-9881 or Nikki Shasserre at (734) 330-6710.

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