TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Child Welfare League Foundation (兒福聯盟) revealed on Monday (Nov. 18) that Taiwanese children's subjective life satisfaction has decreased for the third consecutive year, falling below the international average of 7 for the first time.
The foundation's "2024 Child Welfare Survey Report" (2024年兒童福祉調查報告) highlighted an alarming trend in sleep patterns among Taiwanese children. On weekdays, children average 8.01 hours of sleep, while on weekends, they sleep 9.59 hours, indicating a need to catch up on rest. Junior high school students fare worse, with only 7.58 hours of sleep on weekdays, 0.85 hours less than their elementary peers.
The data reveal that academic stress is a significant concern, with 75.9% of Taiwanese students feeling pressured by schoolwork. This figure represents a staggering increase of 31.4 percentage points from 2023's 44.5%.
The foundation attributed this decline in happiness to factors such as psychological isolation, academic pressure, digital addiction, insufficient sleep, and family relationships. It also urged parents and schools to pay closer attention to children's living conditions and emotional stress, and emphasized the need for proactive measures to address these issues.