The older we get, the less we need our friends and family to be happy, new research has claimed.
The latest Gallup analysis found that US citizens require less and less social time as they age.
People over the age of 65 require just three hours of socialising a day to maintain a happy outlook, while people aged 30 and under required at least six hours a day to report the same happy feelings.
Teenagers needed more social time again, requiring at least eight hours a day to feel good about their lives.
Researchers conducted phone interviews with a random sample of 31,486 American adults.
Respondents were quizzed about their social habits, and their feelings of wellbeing.
Although older individuals spent far less time their friends and family, they reported the biggest boost in happiness from time spent.
Sixty-seven percent of seniors reported feeling a lot of enjoyment and happiness without much stress after just three hours of socialising per day, compared to only 33 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds who did the same.
The research found that younger people would have to spend twice as long with their friends and family — more than six hours — to report the same feelings of happiness and wellbeing.
“It may be comforting to know that older people’s emotional state does not necessarily suffer as the average time they spend daily in the company of others declines with age,” a Gallup spokesperson said.
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