The World's Young Generation Is Suffering From Depression

The “Satori Generation,” the “Tang Ping,” the “Doomer,” and the “Generation Sacrifice.” These expressions refer to the depressed youth generations of each of the following countries: Japan, China, the United States, and France. Youths all around the world are depressed because of higher unemployment rates associated with slowdowns in economic growth as well as higher standards to others present on social networking services. The Chonnam Tribune looked into why this issue has arisen and sought solutions from a multinational group of students at Chonnam National University.

Why are young people all over the world so hopeless and depressed?
Julien Charles Evangelos Menager (France): I think one of the biggest reasons is climate change. Not everyone, but a lot of people think about it, and they say, “We might have no future.” So, they get depressed about it. It will come with economic insecurity too. Imagine there is no future due to climate change… It will destroy everything, even the economy. People will have to leave their countries, and it will cause political and economic troubles.

Saki Takizawa (Japan): I’m thinking about social media. Due to the development and general nature of social media, people see only the best parts of others’ lives. Any time you think about trying something new you can find others on social media who have done it better than you ever could. Only seeing the best results of entire processes makes people hesitate to try new things. It pressures people, and concludes with the appearance of “feckless generations.”

Yi In-hyang (Korea): The pressure of an overly competitive society may be a main reason. We have pressure to succeed academically, socially, and professionally. We have been pressured to get much better grades than others in the classroom since we were young. Being in a competitive environment at a young age can cause stress and isolation. In Korea, the education system has a problem. Most students study to go to prestigious universities, not for their dreams or interests. So, it is easy to find young people in their 20s who do not really know what they want to study in university, what they are good at, or what they want to be after graduation.

Which other social problems will be caused by these issues among the young generation?
Yi In-hyang: If the young generation gives up on looking for jobs, the economy will contract. Over the long term, economic growth could stay still. Moreover, the birth rate will decrease because youths do not have a job or enough money to date, get married, or take care of future children. This phenomenon is serious, especially in Korea. Korea’s fertility rate recently hit a new low, and it remains last in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Julien Charles Evangelos Menager: I think the big problem is that if the government doesn’t change, we cannot change anything politically. They are the ones who have the power, and they are the keys to making a difference. Even if I scream out loud, nothing changes. It makes young people who want to make changes in society more depressed. But even if everything goes worse than we expect, we still need to find a way to start making changes and do what we can, like gathering the power to protest.

How do we remedy depression among young people?
Saki Takizawa: In Japanese culture, broadcasting one’s opinions is not widely practiced or accepted. I believe it’s because the education system features one-way lecture style classes, without discussions, leading to students all holding mostly the same opinions. A lot of people are inexperienced in considering differences among people. One way to solve the problem of depression among people would be to have open discussions about youth struggles among people of all generations. Ironically, social media is one of the easiest ways to communicate and discuss problems, even though I consider social media platforms one of the main reasons these issues have appeared.

Xandra Carol Malinowski (U.S.): Especially, I think Americans should be more educated on their political system and more knowledgeable on how we can make more changes. I think learning how to have the right conversation, not just yelling with your opinion or not just listening without having an opinion, is important. Being able to compromise makes society more positive. It would be a good stepping stone.

Nowadays, many young people are unmotivated, so they end up giving up on many things such as jobs, relationships, or other things they could feel passionate about. Many young adults feel powerless in front of the wild realities before them. But if they do not challenge themselves to make changes leading to future happiness, this vicious circle will not end. Young people have to turn their voices up and express their opinions actively. The older generation needs to listen attentively to youthful voices, be concerned with them, and discuss effective youth policy. If there is to be a bright future for today’s young generation, harmony and consideration between all generations are more crucial than ever.

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Julien Charles Evangelos Menager, Exchange Student, Faculty of Business Administration, France

Saki Takizawa, Exchange Student, Dept. of Computer Engineering, Japan

Xandra Carol Malinowski, Exchange Student, Dept. of Political Science and International Relations, United States

Yi In-hyang, Senior, Dept. of Political Science and International Relations, South Korea

By Bae Mun-seong, Editor