Korean adolescents suffer from academic stress deriving mainly from the education system oriented towards college entrance and the standardized, competitive school atmosphere; the side effects of this is being manifested as extreme social problems including bullying, peer victimization, mental disorder, and suicide.
The happiness level of Korean adolescents averaged 6.84 out of 10 and ‘happy adolescents’ with a score of 9 or higher only accounted for 18% of the total.
Factors that determined their happiness were not those that could be attained in reality through competition, such as education levels, employment status, and private education, but more physical and psychological factors such as personal health and ego-maturity.
Happy adolescents were 11.8%p, 26.2%p, and 6.5%p higher in ‘family life satisfaction’, ‘healthiness’, and ‘ego maturity,’ respectively than adolescents as a total.