This article is being featured in Special Feature: From Living to Thriving

Despite continued economic growth in Singapore, youth are reporting lower levels of happiness and life satisfaction. With increased geopolitical uncertainty and its impact on the domestic economy, the well-being of Singaporeans, in particular its youth, must be adequately understood.  

Associate Professor Ho Kong Weng and Solomon Soh’s paper titled  ‘Subjective well-being and intergenerational mobility of youths in Singapore’ delves into the intricate web of non-economic factors that shape the subjective well-being of youths in Singapore. The paper builds on previous research and Singapore’s National Youth Survey (NYS) of 2019. The NYS study chose two indicators to reflect subjective well-being,  namely happiness and life satisfaction.  “Happiness” is emotive in nature, a form of experienced well-being, while “life satisfaction” is cognitive in nature, a form of evaluative well-being.

In essence, the study by Assoc Prof Ho and Soh highlights the significance of family, community, and national relationships, altruistic life goals, and perceived opportunity and social mobility.

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Family, community, and national relationships: The bedrock of well-being 

At the heart of the happiness of Singaporean youths lies a strong sense of familial belonging, according to the research team led by Assoc Prof Ho. The family unit acts as a foundation upon which their emotional well-being rests. Close-knit family ties not only provide emotional support but also offer a sense of security and stability, crucial for navigating the challenges of youth. 

Moreover, community relationships further enhance this sense of social well-being. Specifically, the research team found that higher levels of participation in various social groups, such as sports-related groups, arts and cultural groups, self-help groups, religious groups, and interest and hobby groups led to happier and more satisfied youth.

The study also found that youths who had a sense of belonging to Singapore reported higher levels of subjective well-being. This sense of belonging means the youths do not see Singapore simply as what Assoc Prof Ho calls a “marketplace of employment”, but also as a place where they invest precious time and energy in community events that deal with national issues. An example, he said, is volunteering with non-governmental organisations during the pandemic to give out face masks and other necessities to migrant workers, a vulnerable group.  

On the other hand, the paper found that youths taking on leadership positions in social groups tend to report lower levels of subjective well-being. According to Assoc Prof Ho, this is probably because “leaders need to make sacrifices in terms of time, energy, and even money, which could reduce their sense of well-being”. His advice to youths taking up leadership positions is to be  “passionate about the long-term cause of the community, and have support from co-workers, co-leaders, and family members.”

Non-zero sum life goals promote personal well-being

Having life goals incentivises youths to invest time, energy and mental resources into these aspirations, and thus has a significant impact on their immediate subjective well-being. Assoc Prof Ho and Soh found that their subjective well-being depends on the nature of these life goals. These life goals could be “non-zero-sum” goals or “zero-sum”goals.

In their study, family-oriented life goals and altruism-oriented life goals are considered “non-zero-sum” life goals, as attaining them does not deprive others from attaining them. On the other hand, career-oriented life goals are “zero-sum” in nature, as being successful at the top of the food chain suggests others are below or even at the bottom. The term  is often used in game theory to describe a situation where a person’s gain is another person’s loss, resulting in no net benefit.

“Non-zero-sum” life goals, or intrinsic goals, such as commitment to family, friends, and social and political involvement were found to promote personal well-being while “zero-sum” life goals or extrinsic goals such as commitment to career success and material gains lowered subjective well-being. The research team found that young individuals with non-zero-sum life goals have a “purposeful and meaningful life”.

Perceived career opportunities and social mobility give hope

Assoc Prof Ho and Soh discovered that for young Singaporeans, believing that there are ample opportunities for a successful career increases happiness and life satisfaction. They also  found that perceived income disparity in Singapore tended to be a reason for youths to put in the effort to reach a higher income band and contribute positively to their subjective well-being. The research team calls this the “inequality incentive”.

The perception of social mobility – the ability to move up the socio-economic ladder in relation to the previous generation – is also an important determinant of subjective well-being, more so for youths on the lower half of the social ladder than for those on the upper half. 

Assoc Prof Ho noted that youths in the upper half may perceive that network and luck, rather than hard work, are more important in bringing about success, and therefore perceived social mobility does not contribute as much to their subjective well-being as compared with the lower half.

Implications and a way forward

Given the importance of the perception of ample career opportunities, the “inequality incentive” and social mobility in influencing the next generation’s well-being, the study suggests  that policymakers should focus on preparing youths for the future by developing skills in areas such as leadership, emotional intelligence and innovation. 

To facilitate upward mobility in an environment of heightened uncertainty and rapid technological disruption, the research team advocates continual upskilling, reskilling, and industrial experiential education, especially for Singaporean youths from disadvantaged backgrounds.

As Assoc Prof Ho aptly sums up, “To achieve well-being for youths in Singapore, it is important to consider both economic and non-economic factors. While economic factors can be uncertain and volatile, non-economic factors such as family, community, and national factors play a key role in the subjective well-being of youths”.