How a happy child can suddenly turn into a grumpy teenager

TEENAGERS can seem a rather sulky lot. And now scientists have discovered one of the reasons why.

They experience the steepest fall in overall happiness of any age group, a study of more than 91,000 Britons aged ten to 80 reveals.

‘As a teenager, you are very worried about fitting in, and other people judging you or rejecting you socially, and feel generally very self-conscious,’ said Dr Amy Orben, who led the research from the University of Cambridge.

‘These things may affect your sense of satisfaction in life.’

There is growing interest in lifetime happiness, which tends to be high in childhood, dip in middle-age amid work and family and financial pressures, and rise again in older age.

The study used results from a UK household survey, between 2009 and 2018, which asked individuals how satisfied they felt. Those under 16 selected an option from seven cartoon faces, ranging from smiling to sad.

The study in the journal Royal Society Open Science defined ten to 24 as teenage years, based on the time it now takes to become fully independent. This age range saw the steepest fall in satisfaction compared to other ages.