Depression Rises Among Elementary Students: Impact of SNS Use and 1980s-Born Parental Attitudes

Seoul Education Research and Information Institute Study
Elementary Students Show Increased Depression, Worry, and Sensitivity
"Influenced by Increased SNS Use"

A recent study has found that depression and anxiety among elementary school students in Seoul have increased over the past three years. The analysis points to a combination of factors, including excessive private education, increased use of social networking services (SNS), and overprotective parenting by parents born in the 1980s.

Elementary school students going to school. This photo is not directly related to the article.

According to the "2020 Seoul Student Longitudinal Study Third-Year Results Analysis Report" released on May 19 by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's Educational Research and Information Institute, the depression score (on a 3-point scale) among Seoul elementary school students has steadily risen from 0.51 in 2021, when the first survey was conducted, to 0.66 in 2022, and 0.73 in 2023. During the same period, the depression score among middle school students increased by only 0.13 points, and among general high school students by just 0.02 points, while the score for elementary school students rose by 0.22 points?an increase considered statistically significant.

Psychological traits indicating anxiety also showed a marked increase only among elementary school students. The "excessive worry" metric (on a 1-point scale) rose from 0.44 in 2021 to 0.54 in 2022, and 0.58 in 2023. During the same period, "sensitivity" increased from 0.41 to 0.47 to 0.49, and "negative emotions" from 0.17 to 0.24 to 0.26. In contrast, these indicators all decreased among middle and high school students.

The factors identified as contributing to the rise in negative emotions such as depression and anxiety among elementary school students include: increased time spent on smartphones and SNS; feelings of isolation and economic hardship brought on by COVID-19; stress from academics and peer relationships; and a decrease in sleep duration. Each of these factors was cited as an independent cause.

The institute explained, "Students experience the lives of others indirectly and communicate with them through SNS platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, as well as YouTube. They may feel a sense of relative deprivation when comparing themselves to the glamorous lives of others, and are also influenced by sensational videos and stories."

The report further analyzed, "With an incomplete sense of self and a lack of clear goals, students have become more psychologically vulnerable due to excessive parental expectations and demands for academic achievement, excessive private education, and increased SNS use."

In particular, the study suggested that the parenting style of "parents born in the 1980s," who are the parent generation of current elementary school students, may have contributed to the increase in negative emotions among students. One advisory committee member who participated in the research explained, "Children who are overly emotionally protected from even minor frustrations and anxieties tend to have higher levels of anxiety and may experience significant discouragement in response to small difficulties."

Meanwhile, this study, which investigated and analyzed the academic and psychological characteristics of elementary, middle, and high school students in Seoul, involved 113 elementary schools, 98 middle schools, and 99 high schools in the city. The elementary school portion of the study tracked students who were in fourth grade in 2021 for three years, following them until they reached sixth grade.