Students in South Korea live in constant competition with time, and getting enough sleep is considered a luxury. This is one of the reasons why South Korean teenagers are rated as having low levels of happiness. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — A recent study reveals that nearly one-third of South Korean children aged 9 to 17 report insufficient sleep, with academic pressures and social media usage identified as the primary causes.
The study, conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA) as part of its 2023 Comprehensive Child Status Survey, found that 34.9% of children surveyed were not getting enough sleep. The research, which analyzed data from 5,743 children under 18, focused on 3,137 children between the ages of 9 and 17.
The average sleep duration for children was 7.9 hours, with 65.1% reporting adequate sleep. However, 34.9% felt their sleep was insufficient, including 22% who described their sleep as “average” and 12.9% who considered it “inadequate.”
According to the National Sleep Foundation’s guidelines, children aged 6 to 13 should sleep 9-11 hours, while those aged 14 to 17 require 8-10 hours of sleep.
The main reason for sleep deprivation among children was related to academics, accounting for 60% of the causes. The most common reasons included extracurricular activities (34.3%), followed by excessive use of social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok (15.5%), and homework or online learning (15.2%). Other factors included gaming, late-night study sessions, and watching TV or listening to music.
Researchers noted that the pressures of the highly competitive education system in South Korea, particularly due to college entrance exams, have led to longer study hours and shorter sleep durations, exacerbating the issue.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
