Survey: Surfing Internet makes Aussie men happier than sex

It seems there are many things that make us happy, like petting our pooches or having a drink with friends. Now, surfing the Internet has made its way into the Happiness Index in Australia, especially among men.

by Helen Leggatt

Just over half of men said happiness was surfing the Internet, playing online games or visiting social networking sites such as Facebook, compared to just 39 percent of women.

In fact, surfing the Internet makes Australian men happier than sex according to the 2008 Australian Happiness Index which was based on the responses of over 8,500 Australians aged between 18 and 64.

Women also put surfing the Internet in their top ten, although not as high on the list as men. Women preferred reading a good book or petting their dogs.

"Australians are made happy on a week-to-week basis, not by possessions and achievements, but by entertaining experiences and by meaningful interactions with others," said Karen Phillips, managing director of The Leading Edge, the company that compiled the data, via The Sydney Morning Herald.

"This index gives insight into the way we tick, with the results being useful to Australian businesses who want to better communicate with their customers.”