University Essay: The Pursuit of Happiness and Societal Distractions

This essay delves into the complexities of the pursuit of happiness, examining how modern societal distractions, particularly those related to technology and social media, have altered our understanding and experience of happiness. The essay analyzes the impact of these distractions on empathy and civic engagement, arguing that the constant engagement with electronic gadgets and virtual interactions diminishes face-to-face connections and genuine human interaction, thereby reducing the ability to connect with others and diminishing the quality of life. The essay references the work of Jeffrey Kluger to support the arguments, illustrating the ways in which social media usage often presents an idealized version of happiness, contrasting it with the reality of diminished social activities and genuine interaction. The author concludes that limiting the use of electronic devices and prioritizing real-life interactions are essential steps to fostering true happiness and enhancing the quality of life.

Running head: THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
The Pursuit of Happiness
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

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THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
Question 1
The pursuit of happiness has long been distracted from its course due to various reasons.
The quotation stated by Morelli states the perception of happiness is misunderstood by the most
at present time that have considerably reduced the empathy held by the individual towards other
in their society and blunted responses in the brain. The quote has many implications towards
civic engagement. The present generation tries to find happiness in earning money and getting
rich. The concept of happiness is converted in purchasing electronic gadgets and engaging
themselves in use of that. People now watch television, use smartphones and live a virtual life.
They are busy in their social media pages talking with their distant friends that eventually reduce
the interaction with the people present inform of them. Face to face interaction is hard to come
by. These distractions are required to be eliminated and engage the individuals in civil life to
increase their empathy towards others. The individuals should stay off electronic gadgets, like
TV, mobile phones to reduce the distraction level. This will help individual to see the world in
front and make them notice the people around them. It will in turn increase empathy for which,
one will give importance to their loved ones and make them feel important. It is important that
one must manage time for connecting with others and empathetically pay attention to the people
while they are talking. The distraction led many to believe that electronics and especially mobile
phones are the one that delivers happiness. However, this is not true as they restrict individual
life in that device making them forget about their hobbies and, families and other priorities that
are truly important to them. Hence, putting restriction to the usage of these devices will make life
happier allowing them to connect with people (Tullett and Jason).
Question 2

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THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
It is possible to deduce three conclusions from the article “The happiness of Pursuit”
written by Jeffrey Kluger.
Source: Kluger 2013
Firstly, the above chart reflects that the people tend to portray themselves happy in their
social media pages than they actually are. It is due to the desire of acceptance to their friends.
However, it is contributing in restricting their physical interaction which is believed to be the
actual happiness provider. For example, the people may post positive feelings hiding their actual
mood.

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THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
Source: Kluger 2013
However, while collecting the opinion about themselves, they believe that they reflect
their actual feelings that are contradicting to the previous one. If they truly believe they are as
happy they reflect on the social media, then there is no reason for them to believe that the others
exaggerates their level of happiness. It leads to the conclusion that the people might not be as
happy as they reflect in their social media pages.
Source: Kluger 2013

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THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
Lastly, the comparison reflected in Kluger’s article reveals that the people are getting less
involved in the social activities than the previous time. They are likely to spend more time on
their social media pages than real life interaction. This in turn reflects the tendencies of people to
stay connected to their distant friends and relatives ignoring the ones close to them. The
infographic shows a considerable decline in social activities of people in 2013 compared to 2004.
All the three conclusions direct towards one understanding, which is the technologically
modernized life, draws people from real life social activities. These have direct impact on the
happiness index.

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THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
References
Kluger, Jeffrey. "The happiness of pursuit." Time Magazine (2013).
Tullett, Alexa M., and Jason E. Plaks. "Testing the link between empathy and lay theories of
happiness." Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 42.11 (2016): 1505-1521.