About half of us worldwide have not been happy for more than two years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic; according to a new survey of the post-covid situation.
According to the Oracle Happiness Report released earlier this month; about 45% of people have never experienced real happiness since the beginning of 2020.
The software company surveyed more than 12,000 consumers and business leaders from 14 countries; its report also found about 25% of people know or forget what it means to feel happy.
Meanwhile, 88% of those voting are looking for new adventures that will make them smile and laugh; with 80% putting life first, 79% wanting to connect with someone and 53% wanting a trip to find happiness. Additionally, many turn to brands, companies, and online shopping for comfort.
“We fail in happiness. “We are hungry for new insights that can help us feel better.”
Many people around the world are trying to find what Rubin calls “the next big thing”; wanting to know how to move forward in the face of a global epidemic.
The post-covid situation “was an event that we did not plan for,” Rubin said. He said that although there were COVID vaccines; boosters and vaccines for previous diseases, most people were still unhappy because the problem was not over.
“I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard a lot of people say, ‘Give me a day when I can walk and get to the finish line,’ ‘Rubin said. “But, when we have this ongoing feeling we don’t know, that feeling of insecurity grows.”
And while we may be at the forefront of engaging with others, and there are more and more big events happening, Rubin adds, “there is still not much of this great inspiration. We still have a lot to go through.”
Global happiness
Measuring the happiness of others is not new. The United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network annually publishes a Global Happiness Report based on data from the Gallup World Poll.
Christopher Barrington-Leigh, a professor at McGill University in Quebec and a fellow researcher at the U.N.
The data examines how citizen confidence in government and large institutions plays a significant role in a world of happiness. For example, Finland has been voted the happiest country in the world for the fifth year in a row, while the U.S. is ranked 16th.
The UN has said the level of excitement noted in future reports will be hampered by the current global epidemic, as well as the magnitude of the Russian war in Ukraine. The global economy was already struggling as a result of the epidemic, and the war had pushed up inflation across the US and around the world, including rising eyeballs such as gas, oil and food.
Aside from measuring all the excitement, Oracle’s report revealed that people want to smile and laugh at products, and advertising and love shopping more than ever. That is due to social isolation and the loneliness brought on by the epidemic and uncertain times, the report said.
Those who survived this post-covid situation
Of those surveyed, 53% wished money could buy happiness, and 78% of them were willing to pay a premium for real happiness.
During the epidemic, 89% tried to find happiness in online shopping and 47% said that finding packages was exciting. But 12% of respondents said they found it difficult to remember the purchases they made online.
The findings surprised Rob Tarkoff, Oracle’s senior vice president of Marketing and Customer Experience, who told USA TODAY.
“I found it interesting that as more people admit their dopamine levels go up when the packet gets home, I have seen that too,” Tarkoff told USA TODAY, adding that he knew more about his UPS delivery boy. “People wanted to connect and shopping online provided a way of life.”
Ten years ago Adam Galinsky, a professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School, who is not affiliated with Oracle research co-authored the scientific term “dress sense,” to explain how clothing systematically influences dresser psychological well-being.
The relationship between people and products is “difficult for a long time,” he said; warning that seeking happiness through shopping or the “consumer treadmill” can also lead to debt.
Can brands bring happiness to the post-covid situation?
However, 78% of people surveyed in the Oracle report think that products can do more to bring happiness to customers. Also, 91% of them said they prefer the brands to be funny. That number rose between Gen Z (94%) and Millennials (94%).
That is in line with 89% of business leaders who say they see opportunities to joke with customers.
However, 95% of business leaders conducted a panic survey using jokes in customer interactions; and 85% of those leaders thought they did not have enough data or tools to be effective jokes.
Additionally, about 55% of those leaders may have more confidence in using jokes if they appear better to their customers; and 32% say they would feel better if they could gain more access to technologies; such as artificial intelligence to measure customer interest.
Also, 75% of respondents said they would follow some form of social media if it was funny; (like Wendy’s Twitter account from time to time); even though only 15% of business leaders said they would use their kind of jokes on social media. Source: USAToday Also, check out more blogs in the fashion and health section.