Rising Depression and Anxiety Among Elementary Students in Seoul

Recent findings indicate a significant increase in depression and anxiety levels among elementary school students in Seoul over the past three years. Factors such as increased use of YouTube and social media, along with the overprotective parenting styles of parents born in the 1980s, have been identified as contributing elements.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's Educational Research Information Institute, the 'Seoul Student Longitudinal Study 2020 Year 3 Results Analysis Report' revealed that the depression score for elementary students (on a scale of 3) rose from 0.51 in 2021 to 0.73 in 2023. In contrast, middle school students saw an increase of only 0.13 points, while high school students in the humanities track experienced a minimal rise of 0.02 points.

The study involved 113 elementary schools, 98 middle schools, and 99 high schools across Seoul, tracking students who were in the fourth grade in 2021 over three years.

Anxiety indicators also showed a rise among elementary students. The score for 'excessive worry' increased from 0.44 in 2021 to 0.58 in 2023. Similarly, 'sensitivity' scores rose from 0.41 to 0.49, and 'negative emotions' increased from 0.17 to 0.26 during the same period. Conversely, middle and high school students reported declines in these areas.

The report attributes the rise in negative emotions among elementary students to several factors, including stress from academic pressures and peer relationships, increased screen time on smartphones and social media, feelings of isolation and economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and reduced sleep duration.

Researchers noted that students often experience others' lives indirectly through platforms like Instagram and Facebook, leading to feelings of relative deprivation when comparing themselves to the glamorous lives portrayed online. They also highlighted that the combination of incomplete self-concept, lack of clear goals, and excessive parental expectations and demands for academic performance, along with the rise in social media usage, has made students more psychologically vulnerable.

A consultant involved in the study pointed out that the parenting style of the '80s generation, which tends to overly protect children from minor setbacks and anxieties, may have contributed to the increase in negative emotions among students. This approach can lead to heightened anxiety levels and greater distress over small challenges, resulting in lower emotional resilience among elementary students, making them more susceptible to feelings of depression and anxiety.