Depression and anxiety among elementary school students in Seoul have increased over the past three years, with excessive smartphone and social media use, alongside the overprotectiveness of parents born in the 1980s, cited as key contributors.

The average depression score among Seoul elementary students, measured on a 3-point scale, rose from 0.51 in 2021 to 0.66 in 2022 and 0.73 in 2023, according to the third-year results of the “Seoul Student Panel Study 2020” released Monday by the Seoul Education Research and Information Institute under the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education.


The study tracked students from 113 elementary schools, 98 middle schools and 99 high schools across Seoul. The elementary school portion of the research followed students who were in fourth grade in 2021 over a three-year period.

Levels of anxiety also climbed steadily during the same period.

On a 1-point scale, the average score for “excessive worry” among elementary students increased from 0.44 in 2021 to 0.54 in 2022 and 0.58 in 2023.

“Irritability” rose from 0.41 to 0.47 to 0.49, while “negative emotions” increased from 0.17 to 0.24 to 0.26.

The report cited a range of factors contributing to these negative emotions, including academic pressure, difficulties in peer relationships, increased time spent on smartphones and social media, isolation and financial stress caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and reduced sleep duration.

“Students indirectly experience others’ lives and communicate with them through platforms like Instagram, Facebook and YouTube,” a researcher said in the report. “They may feel a sense of relative deprivation when comparing themselves to others’ glamorous lifestyles, and be influenced by stimulating videos and narratives.”

An advisory committee member involved in the study said that the parenting style of those born in the 1980s — the typical age group of elementary students’ parents — may also be exacerbating the issue.

“Children who are emotionally overprotected and excessively supported in response to even minor distress or anxiety tend to experience higher levels of anxiety and are more prone to despair in the face of small challenges,” the adviser said.


Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]