60% of teenagers “Stop even if you don’t get married…you don’t have to have children”

Six out of 10 domestic youths believe that marriage is not necessary, and even if they are married, they believe that they do not necessarily have children. Compared to 2017, the percentage of youth who think this way has increased significantly.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced the results of the 2020 Youth Comprehensive Survey on the 21st. The interview was conducted with 7170 domestic youth aged 9 to 24. Survey conducted every three years in accordance with the Framework Act on Youth Since 2011, it has investigated youth health, respect and values, participation and social awareness, learning and activities, career and job exploration, and social entry and transition. Last year, we further investigated questions about the changes in adolescents’ lives specially due to the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19).

Compared to the previous survey, there were significant changes in the family view of adolescents. Only 39.1% of adolescents aged 13 to 24 agreed on the opinion that they must marry. Compared to the 2017 survey (51%), it decreased significantly. However, 43.4% of adolescents aged 13-18 and 36.0% of adolescents aged 19-24 agreed, and there was a large difference by age group. The gender difference was also large. 42.9% of male adolescents agreed, while 34.8% of female adolescents agreed. In this survey, for the first time, when asked if a juvenile caregiver (parents) must be married, 59.7% agreed, showing a difference in perception from adolescents.

In the 2017 survey, only 46.1% agreed on the opinion that marriage does not necessarily have children, whereas in this survey, 60.3% agreed. On the other hand, 47.2% of caregivers agreed with the opinion. 60.7% of adolescents said their parents had to fully support them until they graduated from college. 21.1% and 5.4% of adolescents who responded that their parents should fully apply until employment or marriage were found, respectively. Compared to the 2017 survey, parents’ perception of support increased in both’until college graduation’ and’until employment’.

Deputy Minister of Women’s and Women’s Minister Kim Gyeong-seon said at a briefing on the 20th, “The government is taking it very seriously that intentions about marriage and childbirth are gradually falling in the results of this survey. It seems that the economic burden is that much,” he said, and that government measures are needed to solve the job and housing problems for young people.

In this survey, the impact of Corona 19 deteriorated school life (48.4% negative, 11.4% positive) and trust in society (negative 43.7%, positive 8.3%), but family relations (positive 22.1%, negative 9.6%) declined. They responded that it was better.

In addition, physical activity averaged 2.1 hours per week, which decreased by 1.7 hours compared to 2017. However, the usual weekly sleep time is about 8 hours and 20 minutes, which is about 1 hour higher than the previous survey. The Ministry of Leisure and Home Affairs analyzed that “the effects of social distancing and distance classes due to Corona 19 appeared.” Activities with parents such as dinner and leisure activities increased, and the rate of conversations with mothers for more than 30 minutes each day increased to 76.2%, but the rate with fathers was 40.6%, the lowest since the first survey in 2011.

Reporter Esther [email protected]