Social media not a major source of stress for Swiss youth

School, training and exams are the biggest stress factors for young people in Switzerland, says the study. Keystone / Gaetan Bally

Young people in Switzerland feel less stressed by social media than might be expected. This is one of the findings of Pro Juventute's first study on Swiss youth. Another finding is that girls and young women feel more stressed than their male counterparts.

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The study was carried out in collaboration with the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Zurich psychiatric clinic, says Pro Juventute. The foundation published its study in the Sunday newspapers. Adolescents and young adults aged between 14 and 25 were interviewed.

In the representative survey, 88% of teenagers and young adults said that they felt well mentally. And even 94% said they were in good physical health. “Despite these high figures, 30% of young people often feel tired and exhausted”, writes Pro Juventute.

School-related stress

School, training and exams are the biggest stress factors. This is followed by pressure to perform, worries about money, high expectations and worries about one’s future career. Surprisingly, only 15% see social media as a major stress factor.

+ Swiss generally very satisfied with life, but young people struggle

The survey also reveals a well-known pattern: girls and young women are doing significantly less well than boys and young men of the same age. For example, 12% of female participants were undergoing psychotherapeutic treatment at the time of the survey. A third had sought professional help such as psychotherapy.

Translated from French with DeepL/gw

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