What's the buzz

A survey has found that Chinese women are happier than men. The annual happiness survey, conducted by CCTV in 2012, showed that 55 percent of female respondents felt fairly happy or very happy, compared with only 45 percent of male respondents. Do you agree with the survey results? China Daily's mobile phone news readers share their views:

I agree that women are happier than men, because that is what I see at work. Given the heavy burden of supporting the entire family, male teachers seldom talk about their families and their emotions tend to only surface if they have a few drinks after work. Their female co-workers on the other hand always talk bout shopping, cosmetics and their families, unintentionally revealing their satisfaction and sense of pride and happiness. I think that more women being happy is a demonstration of their approval of themselves and their family. It has nothing to do with money.

HAILINGXIAOXIAOSHENG, Yancheng, Jiangsu province

I personally believe that women are much happier than men. Over the past decades, men have become more anxious about finding a wife because of the growing imbalance between the male and female population. It has become a lot harder for men to attract a women and so there is more pressure. Men nowadays bear a greater burden than ever before.

QUEENIEDENG, Guangzhou, Guangdong province

In my opinion, men are happier. Take my wife for example. Even though she is on maternity leave she is now busier at home than she was at work. After being woken up by our child at 6 am, she has to clean the baby, change his diaper and clothes, feed him, then help him do stretching exercises. What's worse is that she rarely gets an unbroken night's sleep. Since new mothers have a hectic life after already being exhausted by 10-month pregnancy, husbands should give more love and care to their wives.

JASON, Foshan, Guangdong province

To a large extent, the high house prices have caused such a result. Men are expected to purchase a house and preferably also a car before they get married. However, the reality is many men are born and raised in rural areas. Since most of the elder generation in the countryside have a humble income as farmers, not many rural parents can afford to help their sons buy a house in a city. When marriage, the supposedly most important and happiest thing in life, becomes such a headache, how can Chinese men feel happy.

WUYU, Nanjing, Jiangsu province

As far as I am concerned, men are happier than women. It is all about self-fulfillment. It is worth all the sweat and tears when a man sees his hard work has created better material conditions for his family and they are living a happy life.

MANMAN, Tianjin

Happiness is not only dependent on whether life goes smoothly, but is also how one adjusts to life. Women feel happier because it is easier for them to shift their attention to other things.

HEHE, Beijing

I think the reason men feel less happy than women is they are expected to assume more social responsibility. When their social roles have possessed most of their personality, their inner self will inevitably be suppressed. Now the pressure from society has grown bigger and it has become increasingly hard to make any achievements, it is impossible for a man's social role to fulfill his expectations, so the sense of happiness produced by the neglected inner self will also be unavoidably lower.

A READER, Baotou, Inner Mongolia autonomous region

(China Daily 03/11/2013 page10)