[pessimizer]

It's a meaningless, empty phrase. Even worse, the focus of the OP is on a RAND survey of some "youth panel" where they asked them how they felt about other kids' relationship to this empty phrase.

It's like when they poll people to ask them how the economy is doing. How the hell would they know? And what do you mean by the economy?

[tayo42]

If you ask someone how the economy is your asking about how your expenses are growing, income is keeping up with it, savings and investments, job stability. That all goes onto someone's sense of the economy.

And critical thinking isn't an empty phrase, it's like thinking about the accuracy of statements and analyzing them your self.

Do you take things literally generally? Or struggle with understanding people?