Question

People who are single are happier because they are living their most authentic lives without having to worry about someone else.

Comments

I couldn't agree more with this statement, as it really depends on the person. Some people prefer to be on their own, but some people also don't like being single. There really is no concrete way to determine whether or not people are generally more happy being single.

---

The article says single people are happier, but that’s a pretty weak claim without much real proof. Being single can mean more freedom, fewer responsibilities, and saving money, but a lot of people still want a partner to share life with. In fact, a poll from the American Psychiatric Association found that one in three Americans feels lonely, especially younger people, which shows that being single isn’t always great. Plus, since this is from Buzzfeed, it might be a little biased because they focus more on opinions than facts. Being single has its perks, but relationships can bring a lot of meaning and joy too.
https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/news-releases/new-apa-poll-one-in-three-americans-feels-lonely-e#:~:text=Younger%20people%20were%20more%20likely,22%25)

---

This is a big claim with no compelling evidence. I do agree that there is a major risk in every major relationship with consequences of divorce but I think it's quite subjective. I noticed how this article points to modern phenomena like TikTok but I think this stance may be more of a symptom of broader issues in society.

---

I think that this argument is interesting because while some people are happier being single there are still people who would be happier if they were in a relationship. While some people might like the independence that comes with being single others prefer the comfort of having a partner.

---

In this Article they make the claim that single people are happier, but there’s not much solid proof behind this claim. Although being single does come with benefits like having more freedom and spending less money, there are a lot of people who are happier being in a relationship and enjoy sharing their life with someone else. I believe that there is no evidence to completely state that people that are single are happier because I believe that happiness is subjective. Also, the evidence that they bring to the table is about divorce rates which is just not enough to defend their claim.

Answer 1

I find this claim to be much more of an opinion than a fact. As the claim has no scientific research backing up the claim. Instead, buzzfeed makes the statement for entertainment and humor. A study was done where researchers found that those who dismiss romantic relationships as unimportant are more satisfied with their lives than single young adults who found romantic relationships as important. Possibly, satisfaction with life has more to do with your perception of the importance of romantic relationships. A higher level of satisfaction in life may be from placing less importance on romantic relationships.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/fare.12981

Answer 2

Considering this claim is backed with an opinionated source, the answer itself can't be a true or false response, as it is depending on the individual. Time Article "Yes, Single People Can Be Happy and Healthy" - "Another study, co-authored by MacDonald, zeroed in on what un-partnered people prioritize the most—and the results suggest they care about being mentally and physically healthy and fostering strong family relationships. Sex and dating were among participants’ least important priorities." As this doesn't necessarily answer the claim, it only aids it slightly, there is more within Psychology Today article "Are single or partnered people happier?" - "Societal pressure to be in a romantic relationship may backfire if young adults are pushed to do something that they do not deem important."

sources: https://time.com/6255111/single-people-happy-healthy/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/happy-together/202402/are-single-or-partnered-young-adults-happier

Answer 3

After conducting my research, I’ve come to the conclusion that the idea that single people are happier isn’t a matter of truth or fiction but a matter of the individual. “Not every single person is miserable and certainly not everybody in a relationship is ecstatic with their life.” (American Psychological Association) Recently, there has been a worldwide increasing trend of being single, but many of these single individuals have been victims of “Singlism” discrimination. This idea stems from the stigmas associated with being single like being immature, self-centered, or unhappy, whereas people in relationships are seen as content, mature, and having a better quality of life. But this is very untrue, and when considering the single population, it is also important to consider the different types of single people within our society. “Specifically, the happiest singles exhibited high extraversion (a trait defined by having an outgoing and sociable nature) and low neuroticism (a tendency towards negative emotional instability).” (SPSP) 

A large factor in this debate considers how progressive social norms or sexual activity can influence individuals who are both single and in relationships. Being single doesn’t necessarily mean that you are missing out on things typically considered to be “perks” of a relationship -like an active sex life or having strong relationships with someone-, nowadays society is blurring traditional lines by changing labels and redefining how a person can express themselves and connect with others. Friends with benefits, for example, is a more casual term popular with younger demographics that allows people to enjoy their single lifestyles while still being able to sexually express themselves (with another person). Other singles find strength in the other relationships in their lives, like friends or family. “People who have a lower desire for a relationship are often happier with their single lives, which could explain why today’s adolescents are more satisfied with being single.” (Psychology Today) While it may be hard to quantify whether or not single people are happier than those in relationships, there are definitely advantages and disadvantages to both approaches to romance and connection.

Articles:

• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/how-i-shapes-we/202407/are-singles-happier-today?msockid=37ff7b678efa6e4a312e6a608f496fb6

• https://spsp.org/news/character-and-context-blog/walsh-kaufman-single-people-happiness-stereotypes

• https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/happy-single-life

Answer 4

The initial claim is pretty subjective on person to person. The linked article, from 2022,  highlights pressures of single hood being cultural pressures and how the dating culture can be draining and anxiety provoking in our present day. While three years later many of those themes still hold up. The Buzzfeed article also mentions how a U.S. 2019 Census report found that: "40% of people aged 25-24 were unpartnered...up from 29% from 1990". In addition to this I delved into a 2019 study from a PEW Research article which took a random sampling of  4,800 U.S adults which found from their study that 3 in 10 people who are dating found their partners from online dating. This goes onto support that the modern day dating scene is changing in contrast to when earlier studies were conducted of people single.

Nowadays there are more barriers to being with a partner with much of the technology being a foe rather than a friend with how convient it can be to reach a wider audience. Much of the present day technologies often arise to having difficulties within the dating space from infidelity from cheating online and the spouse being unaware or just even making it more difficult to have an authentic connection.

Overall in the life of modern day dating there can be too many factors that contribute to whether if a person is happy or not in single hood.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katiecamero/single-people-happiness

https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/08/20/nearly-half-of-u-s-adults-say-dating-has-gotten-harder-for-most-people-in-the-last-10-years/

Answer 5

This claim is impossible to verify, as happiness is not quantifiable and what makes an individual happy varies from person to person. Additionally buzzfeed is not exactly a credible source for information as they often exaggerate their claims to draw clicks. The evidence presented in the article is largely based on individual experiences and is therefore not applicable to all people, and the information from surveys and studies fail to recognize that different people place different values on the importance of a relationship. A researcher in a study done by the American Psychological Association found that "People with the highest life satisfaction are those who are happy to be single but are also open to being in a relationships", showing how happiness and relationship status depend on various factors in one life, many of which are subjective and not quantifiable.

Answer 6

This article is explaining that being single leads to being more happy overall based on activities that have lack of attentiveness toward them. Claiming that being single people are happier is unjustified because that depends specificity on ones prefrence of life and how they choose to spend their time whether its by them selves or with someone they choose to be with. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katiecamero/single-people-happiness

Answer 7

The question to if you're happier single or not has kind of been pondered for a while now, and in different ways. Because times have changed, there are different ways we view this argument now. Now a days, although women are still oppressed, they have more job opportunities, freedom, and rights then they did, say, in the 1900s. So, this might lead us to believe that it is better to be single because you get more control over your life, but let’s dive deeper. In the BuzzFeed article linked to the original claim, "Actually, Some People Are Happier (And Healthier) Being Single,” written by Katie Camero, she clearly favors that being single has more benefits over being in a relationship. Camero says that being single might resort into “more time to prioritize their mental and physical health than partnered people” (Camero.) and are able to pursue new and different interests and experiences that would improve their lives, without any partner holding them back. She also found this woman on TikTok named Lo’Well who was 39, who had been in an abusive relationship, and she said it gave her a lot of stress and anxiety. When Lo’Well become single again, she said “I felt healthier. My skin was clearer. I didn’t have any worries or stressors.” (Lo’Well.) Lo’Well also goes onto explain that society has taught women to find a man quickly or else you’d be lonely, but that is not true at all. You can have family and friends who love you a lot and not feel lonely because of that. The article concludes by saying, don’t wait until you are in a relationship, to appreciate your singlehood. Although, in an alternative Forbes article called, “A Phycologist Answers the ‘Would I be Happier Single?’ Question,” written by Mark Travers, this gives us more neutral and unbiased opinion of whether being single will result in a happier life or not. Travers lists both arguments in a pro or con like fashion. He says in some of the research they’ve done about this topic, studies suggest that married people are on slightly happier than single people and that your happiness is increased in the beginning, but happy level fall after about a year, to pre-married levels of happiness. In full, Traver wraps up by saying that you need to self-evaluate your life and what’s going on around you in order to really understand what you want. He says that being in a relationship and being single both have their pros and cons. And there is no research that explicitly states which one makes you happier. You just have to “be honest with yourself and your loved ones-and approach your decision-making process with curiosity. So, this claim could be true for some people and false for others but is not scientifically true. It depends on where you are in your life, yourself, and what kind of relationships you have.

Sources:

Actually, Some People Are Happier (And Healthier) Being Single

A Psychologist Answers The ‘Would I Be Happier Single’ Question

Answer 8

The crux of this argument is that: “But more people — particularly straight women — are realizing that partnerships aren’t always happy or healthy.” After some research, it seems that this has some truth to it. It appears that there isn’t much research on it. Still, my findings, as seen by two different studies by three different psychologists, seem to have painted the picture that single women, mainly, are happier. 

In the first source, Dr. Bella DePaulo quotes in her book, Single at Heart: The Power, Freedom, and Heart-Filling Joy of Single Life: “When social psychologist Wendy Morris and I studied stereotypes of single people, we found what we expected: people think single people are not as happy as married people. They also believe that single people become even more unhappy as they grow older. The single at heart defy those stereotypes. Over the course of their adult life, the more single people embrace their single lives, the more satisfied they feel. That’s not just what I learned from the people who shared their life stories with me; it is also the conclusion of another study of more than seventeen thousand Germans, eighteen and older, who reported the degree to which they were pining for a partner, and their satisfaction with their lives, over and over again, for up to ten years. Single people who are not trying to unsingle themselves are leading the life they want, and it just keeps getting better.”

Meanwhile, Elaine Hoan and Geoff MacDonald quote in their study Sisters Aren’t Doing It For Themselves: “In addition to life satisfaction, singlehood research has also examined relationship status satisfaction as another important well-being indicator. Relationship status satisfaction can be defined as the level of satisfaction with one’s current relationship status as a single or partnered individual (Lehmann et al., 2015) and appears more sensitive to whether someone is single or partnered than life satisfaction (Hoan & MacDonald, 2024). Research examining gender differences in status satisfaction is scarce with mixed conclusions. On the contrary, Adamczyk’s (2017) study showed no gender differences in satisfaction with relationship status. However, two studies measuring the highly related construct of satisfaction with singlehood demonstrated in Polish and German samples that women reported greater satisfaction with singlehood than men (Ochnik & Slonim, 2020; N = 512; Ochnik, 2023; N = 278). Overall, while relationship status satisfaction is an important well-being indicator, especially in the singlehood context, gender differences on this variable remain unclear.”

Sources:

1. “Why Some People Are Happier—and More Satisfied—Being Single - Goop.” Goop, 18 Jan. 2024, goop.com/wellness/relationships/single-at-heart/?srsltid=AfmBOop68-8QD1RwU22OBRWavLAppJvlofk7RRHXw_nDnN-kQKwcjQMY. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.

2. Hoan, E., & MacDonald, G. (2024). “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves”: Gender Differences in Singles’ Well-Being. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/19485506241287960

3. Travers, Mark. “4 Reasons Why Single Women Are the Happiest People on Earth—by a Psychologist.” Forbes, 9 Nov. 2024, www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2024/11/09/4-reasons-why-single-women-are-the-happiest-people-on-earth-by-a-psychologist/.

4. Camero, Katie. “Single People Are Rejecting the Stigma of a Partner-Free Life — and They’re Thriving.” BuzzFeed News, 8 Sept. 2022, www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katiecamero/single-people-happiness.

Answer 9

According to this study done by Harvard medical there is a substantial evidence that connects marriage and "life-partners" to longer lives. On average people who are married will live on average 2 years longer. There are also direct connections between lower risks of cancer and heart disease and people who are married. While happiness is a subjective view and not something that is measurable, there is still positive links between marriage and health. This is presuming that healthy people are happier than unhealthy people, which in most cases is true. So while you can't say directly that having a partner makes you happier it is likely that having a partner will make you happier.

Article: https://www.health.harvard.edu/mens-health/marriage-and-mens-health

Answer 10

This article discusses a topic that's hard to measure statistically. It argues that while single people might be happier, there's no direct cause-and-effect relationship between singlehood and happiness. Coming from Buzzfeed, the piece relies on the author's long-term personal experience, including writing a book and hosting a podcast on the subject, which adds insight but may also introduce some bias. I also found another article that takes the opposite view, suggesting that singles are generally less happy than those in relationships, although it notes that young adults who dismiss the importance of relationships tend to be more satisfied with their lives. Overall, both pieces imply that happiness isn't solely about being single or coupled; it's more about your mindset and attitude toward relationships.

Find the other article here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/happy-together/202402/are-single-or-partnered-young-adults-happier#:~:text=A%20new%20study%20found%20lower,romantic%20relationship%20may%20be%20harmful.