Study: Whether teenagers have friends also depends on their parents’ income

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In Germany, schoolchildren from poorer families suffer more often from loneliness, exhaustion and sleep problems than children from better-off families. Emotional stability and satisfaction temporarily decreased significantly among teenagers during the corona pandemic. This is shown by a study presented in Berlin on Thursday, which was funded by the health insurance company DAK-Gesundheit and for which Kiel scientists interviewed more than 14,000 boys and girls in grades five to ten.

Whether it’s a feeling of having no friends, a reduced sense of well-being, or depression, teenagers from less-affluent families are more affected.

Overall, 32 percent of the students often feel alone. Among the children who classify their social status as low, this was even 50 percent. 44 percent of school children from socially disadvantaged families report being unhappy and crying a lot. Among children with a high social status, only 26 percent increasingly report such depressive symptoms.

friends against loneliness

In another recent study, nearly 17 percent of the students surveyed said they felt lonely most or all of the time. But how can parents help their children to find friends? The local health insurance companies, for example, gave a list of a number of tips. So parents could find places where the child and friends can be undisturbed. You could show the children that they like their friends too – or set a good example yourself and surround yourself with people who are important to them.

Corona and well-being

According to the DAK study, there was a dent in the emotional stability of the children during the Corona years. “Corona has led to a massive loss of life satisfaction,” said the author of the study, the Kiel psychologist Reiner Hanewinkel. According to the survey, it was the lowest on a scale of 0 to 10 in the Corona school year 2022/2023 at 5.8 – and rose again to a value of 6.8 until the end. Well-being and life satisfaction are also lower in children with a subjectively low social status.

Overall, 53 percent of children feel exhausted at least once a week. Among the children with a subjectively low social status, the figure is even 63 percent. During the corona pandemic in the previous year, 58 percent often felt exhausted – and 69 percent of children with low social status.

“Corona demanded a lot from the children,” said Secretary of State for Family Affairs Ekin Deligöz (Greens). Many children actually think back to the infection control measures during the pandemic with negative feelings. 55 percent found homeschooling somewhat to very stressful, the mask requirements 54 percent – and regular ventilation even 69 percent.

sleeping pills in teenagers

The researchers also asked about the quality of sleep – and found that 49 percent of schoolchildren with low social status have trouble sleeping on a regular basis, that is, at least once a week. Among children from wealthier families, the figure is only 33 percent. The authors of the study attribute this not least to a higher screen time in children with a subjectively low social status. On average, 11-year-olds sleep 8 hours and 48 minutes a day – for 15-year-olds it is only 7 hours and 24 minutes.

Sleeping pills also play a role among some teenagers. According to the study, 13 percent of those with a high social status and even 22 percent with a low status have already taken such drugs. Overall, however, 62 percent of those surveyed stated that they had good or very good sleep. For those who rated their status as low, it is only 47 percent.

Mobbing und Cyber-Mobbing

The question of whether a child is exposed to bullying always takes up more space at parents’ evenings – not least bullying in chat groups. In fact, 60 percent of the children and young people surveyed reported that they were never bullied, attacked or ostracized in the schoolyard or in the classroom. However, five percent say they are harassed or embarrassed at least once a week – and 17 percent have experienced such humiliation at all. On the other hand, 82 percent of those surveyed had never been a victim of cyberbullying.

Here, too, status plays a role – according to their own statements, almost every second person from families with less wealth has suffered bullying at school, but only 39 percent of those with a subjectively higher social status. For cyberbullying, it was 27 percent of worse-off teens and 17 percent of better-off teens.

Crises shape childhood

For DAK boss Andreas Storm and family secretary Deligöz, the results are “alarming”. Deligöz said: “We live in a time of crisis – they shape the childhood of our children.” Many were also worried about the climate crisis or the Ukraine war – but not everyone was equally resilient. Only the day before, the Federal Statistical Office published the figure of almost 2.2 million children and young people who are at risk of poverty in Germany.

In order to improve the material situation of children, Deligöz promised that her house would present the announced draft law for basic child security by the end of the summer break. How many billions of euros this will be equipped with has recently been a matter of debate in the government. Deligöz also drew attention to a program that sends social workers to schools on a large scale.