33 Is The Magic Number
33 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER, AS NEW REPORT REVEALS THIS IS THE AGE BRITS ARE AT THEIR HAPPIEST
- Katie Price and Frank Lampard are both enjoying the time of their lives at the age of 33!
- Gordon Ramsay and Lord Alan Sugar both hit the big time by the age of 33
- All new Friends Reunited launches as the site where you can access over 10 million memories to celebrate those ‘Remember when?’ moments
Katie Price and Frank Lampard listen up – this could well be the best time of your lives at the age of 33! Research from Friends Reunited, which has launched as the place to celebrate those “Remember when?” moments, has revealed that Brits are at their happiest at the age of 33.
We may think that our childhood or university years are the happiest of our lives, but Friends Reunited’s research of the UK population, aged over 40, has revealed that seven out of ten of us (70 per cent) are not truly happy until we hit the age of 33. By comparison only six per cent of people said they were happiest at university, and only 16 per cent during their childhood years.
Psychologist Donna Dawson, said: “The age of thirty-three is enough time to have shaken off childhood naivety and the wild scheming of teen-aged years without losing the energy and enthusiasm of youth. By this age innocence has been lost, but our sense of reality is mixed with a strong sense of hope, a “can do” spirit, and a healthy belief in our own talents and abilities. We have yet to develop the cynicism and world-weariness that comes with later years.”
Gordon Ramsay and Lord Alan Sugar hit the big time at 33
For many respondents, true happiness comes from fulfilment in their professional lives, with one in five (21 per cent) happiest having achieved success at work. This will certainly be true for famous entrepreneurs Gordon Ramsay, who had opened his first restaurant by the age of 33, and Lord Alan Sugar, whose company Amstrad was listed on the LSE by the time he was 33. The survey also revealed family and friends to be the biggest source of joy, with over one in three (36 per cent) saying they were happiest when they had children.
When asked why they were happiest at these times, over half (53 per cent) chose this age because life was more fun, with others stating that they felt more optimistic about the future (42%) and life seeming more stress free (38%). Family is again important, with 31 per cent most content when their family was closer together.
Looking ahead to the UK population’s future goals
We’d do well to bear this in mind when making our wish-lists for the future, as when it comes to choosing our life goals it seems we’re a little less sentimental. Financial concerns dictate many people’s ambitions, with over a quarter (25 per cent) of all Brits placing “having more money” as their top priority over the next ten years, rising to 34 per cent of those aged 18 to 34 years old.
Over 40s’ happiest memories
When I had children- 36%
When I had a certain level of success at work - 21%
My childhood - 16%
My teenage years - 16%
When I became a grandparent - 14%
When I was first in full-time work - 13%
Matt Bushby, Head of Friends Reunited, said: “While many of us look back and reminisce about our carefree childhood, it’s also important to remember that it’s the big life experiences and the momentous events that we go through that make us who we are.
“The new Friends Reunited will help people celebrate the moments that really matter to them. It’s the one place you can search, collect and save the bigger, more important moments in our lives, memories which in today’s digital world, are in danger of slipping through our fingers.”
It’s not just old school …Friends Reunited, traditionally known for reuniting old school friends, has evolved to reunite members with every blast from their past. Launching with 10 million memories (including 6m photos, 2m events and 2m places) it has automatically created over 24.3 million “Family Boxes”, that’s one for each of the site’s existing members. Family boxes provide a dedicated place for families to share memories within a small group and to begin discovering their personal history. Additionally, Friends Reunited has created over 10,000 nostalgic collections for people to enjoy browsing, ranging from “I Can’t Believe We Wore It!” to “Maggie Thatcher’s Britain”.
Straightforward privacy is a cornerstone of the new service, allowing users to store their most personal memories (including old photographs, videos, scanned ticket stubs and other memorabilia) privately. They can also share those memories with a select few, or make them public.
Members will be encouraged to share what they remember using social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Google+, in combination with a Facebook app that shares your favourite memories with your Facebook friends.
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Lisa Elliott
Lansons Communications
Direct dial: +44 (0)207 294 3679
Mobile: 07717417435
Carolynne Bull-Edwards
brightsolid
Mobile: 07932723866
Notes to editors
About brightsolid
brightsolid began life in 1995 as Scotland Online. It now has two divisions; brightsolid online publishing and brightsolid online technology. brightsolid online technology is a leading UK independent provider of online IT business services. brightsolid online publishing has a number of innovative online businesses around people and places including Friends Reunited and leading family history brands Genes Reunited, ScotlandsPeople and the findmypast global network.
The family history sites deliver access to over a billion records dating as far back as 1200. Family historians can search for their ancestors among global collections, relating primarily to people with UK and Irish ancestry, of military records, census, migration, occupation directories, and current electoral roll data, as well as birth, marriage and death records.
brightsolid was awarded The National Archives’ contract to digitize and publish online the 1911 census for England and Wales, which it launched in January 2009. Most recently, in November 2011, the online innovation group launched the British Newspaper Archive in partnership with the British Library, to digitize up to 40 million pages of historic newspapers over the next 10 years, providing a unique insight into major events and key periods of historical international interest.
Headquartered in Dundee, the company is owned by the publishers D.C. Thomson, and also has operations in Edinburgh, London, Dublin, Sydney and Los Angeles.
About Friends Reunited
Friends Reunited is the original social network with over 24 million members. Launched in 2000 as a back-bedroom hobby to put old school friends back in touch, it swiftly became a British media phenomenon. Today, the site has evolved to celebrate every blast from the past, becoming a central part of the brightsolid mission to safeguard the nation’s history.
