Do Conservatives Raise Happier Children?

Do Conservatives Raise Happier Children?

I am a conservative parent and you may think I am simply tooting my own horn. But I didn’t raise this issue. Recently a study by Columbia University concluded that conservative teenagers are happier than liberal teenagers. The study was published in the journal Social Science and Mental Health. A conservative teenager was defined as one who supported individual liberty, and right-wing social and religious values, and unregulated free markets. A liberal teen emphasized equal opportunity and social justice. The research concluded that "conservatives reported lower average depressive affect, self-derogation, and loneliness scores and higher self-esteem scores than all other groups." Researchers found that the more educated families were, the more likely their child was to be depressed. Ah, get a college degree so you can depress your children. One of the Columbia researchers said that conservatives don't just report higher levels of happiness, they also report having higher levels of meaning in their lives.  Stop for a moment; researchers have found that believing your life has meaning makes you happier.

This is similar to a report a year or so ago wondering why liberal teenage girls are the most depressed group in our society. I produced a video on that debate which I link below.

As you would expect, there has been a wide debate trying to explain this phenomenon but I was surprised that I read no objections to the findings of the study.

New York Times Opinion Columnist David Brooks argued that "many on the left…suffer from what you might call maladaptive sadness, with its three main features being a "catastrophizing mentality," "extreme sensitivity to harm" and a "culture of denunciation." The Left believes  the American dream is a sham, climate change is unstoppable, systemic racism is eternal….Making catastrophic pronouncements became a way to display that you were woke to the brutalities of American life." Brooks is probably right in his analysis of left-wing parents. It seems like a good way to depress everyone around you.

A college professor writing for the Free Press said, liberal professors should change schools and go some place where they can teach Republican children. 

According to Ben Kawaller, “you know what’s nice about Republicans? They raise happy, obedient kids. And as I watch what’s become of our university campuses, where student outrage can curtail curricula, debase administrators, and upend careers… why not trade the anxious rebellious spawn of Democrats for the sunny children of Republicans?”

He adds that their respect for authority alone is intoxicating.  “I recently spent a few days in rural Arkansas, where I met a whole bunch of Republicans, and all their kids called me “sir.” I didn’t even have authority over these children, but by the time I left I felt like an army general.”

A recent Gallup survey said much the same thing as the Columbia study. It said that children of conservative parents had much better mental health outcomes.

Why are kids of conservatives happier? The studies make some suggestions. Conservatives are more likely to have an authoritative parenting style. Liberals are more permissive. Children need authority. They need boundaries. Conservatives provide stronger discipline. This, combined with affection, results in better mental health outcomes.

The Gallup study also found that conservative parents are more likely to value their own marriage…”this leads to a better relationship with their children – in particular when they become teenagers. Unsurprisingly, children whose parents have a strong marriage are far less likely to experience mental health issues.” Strong marriages make for happier kids.  Duh.

We are at a moment in our history when everyone who observes adolescent behavior is worried. According to the American Association of Pediatrics: Between 2020 and 2023, 18 times more teenagers died deaths of despair than died from COVID-19. . Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt stated, “We are now 11 years into the largest epidemic of adolescent mental illness ever recorded…. one in ten adolescents now say they have made an attempt to kill themselves.”

So people are worried. Apparently conservative parents have less reason to be worried. Christians derive their worldview from Almighty God. He gives us instructions on how to live our lives in every venue. Including the way we raise our children. Apparently God’s ways work the best.

Thank you for listening. May the Lord bless you richly.

More: Why do liberal girls have the most mental health issues? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW-KnVQPdDs

One liberal professor says he would rather have Republican students: https://www.thefp.com/p/professors-elite-schools-teach-republicans

Conservative children are happier than the children of liberals: https://www.foxnews.com/media/conservative-teenagers-generally-happier-liberal-peers-study-finds?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Here is a Gallup survey showing much the same thing: https://ifstudies.org/ifs-admin/resources/briefs/ifs-gallup-parentingteenmentalhealthnov2023.pdf

Amber Duke in the Spectator commenting on the studies: https://thespectator.com/newsletter/kids-with-conservative-parents-are-happier-01-4-2024/

Children of conservative parents at lower risk for mental health issues: https://amac.us/newsline/society/report-children-of-conservative-parents-at-much-lower-risk-for-mental-health-issues/

Even the Washington Post admits that conservative kids are happier: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/09/26/how-liberals-and-conservatives-raise-their-kids-differently/

Is it possible that marijuana use is contributing to depression? The Wall Street Journal thinks so: https://www.wsj.com/us-news/marijuana-depression-psychosis-869490d1?mod=hp_lead_pos10&mod=wknd_pos1&mod=djemMER_h