Taiwanese teenagers are more worried about the country's future and the nation's deteriorating politics than they are about relations with the opposite sex, according to the results of a survey released yesterday.
According to a poll conducted by the To Sun Public Foundation, teenagers in Taiwan are less happy today than they were a year ago.
The survey, which was compiled into a "misery index" that gages young people's feelings, found that what troubles teens today is "the grim future of the nation."
"The most essential point of the survey is that the disappointment young people feel toward society could alienate them in the future," said Liao Cheng-hao (
"Some politicians, including lawmakers, have lowered the moral standards of our society with their poor behavior and performance," Liao said. "This was especially so in the campaign for the Dec. 1 elections."
More than 3,100 high school and vocational students participated in the poll.
The misery index covers areas such as education, family relations, leisure life, living environment, gender relations, justice and the prospects for the country.
"I wish that politicians could be more prudent with what they do and say, which has a significant influence on society," Liao said.
"In fact, not only youth but most adults share the same apathy toward the country's politics."
Worry over the country's future ranked high on the misery index, followed by concerns about "lawmakers' absorption in self-interest rather than the public's welfare."
"The unethical acts of some politicians that cloud young people's judgement as to who is trustworthy" occupied third place on the index.
Fourth and fifth were "the legal system's failure to properly defend the rights of righteous individuals" and "the education policy that is frequently altered under the influence of precarious politics."
The foundation found that the misery index as a whole jumped from 58.92 percent last year to 60.42 percent this year.
The foundation's survey last year indicated that teens were upset most with problems involving traffic, the judicial system and the nation's overall prospects.
In contrast to widely held belief, teenagers feel relative comfort with their families, ties with the opposite sex, leisure activities and the environment.
Worry about poor academic performance and not having friends of the opposite sex, the two issues that worry their parents most, are no longer a cause of concern among those interviewed, the survey said.
Compared with a similar survey conducted a year ago, the foundation said the "vision for the nation" showed the greatest drop in confidence, signaling teenagers are increasingly worried about the future.
The second sharp drop in confidence was found in "social disorders," which reflects their increasing concerns over the disturbances surrounding them.
Although "treatment from par-ents" is at the bottom of the misery list, it shows that conflict between parents and children remains a serious issue, the foundation said.
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