Headlines, headlines, headlines

“Women less happy after 40 years of feminism,” says the Times Online headline. “Women are more unhappy despite 40 years of feminism, claims study,” screams the Mail.

My first reaction when this popped into my inbox was, really? We’ve been living in a feminist state since 1969? How did I not get the memo?!

But, actually, the Times story at least is not as annoying as the headline suggests (although they do quote a man ranting about feminism, it’s buried on page four). It’s about a study by US researchers, which is not in actuality analysing how feminism has caused women’s misery, as you might be forgiven for assuming from the headline and Mail take.

The story is actually full of interesting quotes about the way that socialisation and the structure of society conspire to make it harder for women to be happy (“Women may now feel more comfortable being honest about their true happiness and have thus deflated their previously inflated responses.”)