Four in Ten Taiwan Children Feel They Do Not Matter as Isolation and School Pressure Rise

Higher life satisfaction, but a weaker sense of belonging

Nearly four in ten children and adolescents in Taiwan believe the world would be no different without them, according to the Child Welfare League Foundation's 2025 survey. The figure, 39.1 percent, marks the highest level of psychological alienation in three years, even as children's reported life satisfaction improved.

The findings, presented around World Children's Day and examined here as of December 16, 2025, describe a difficult mix of feelings. Children rated their life satisfaction at 72 out of 100, higher than last year but still below international benchmarks from the Health Behavior in School aged Children study. Girls aged 13 recorded a happiness score of just 48.9, far below their peers overseas.

Home life and friendships were the areas children felt most satisfied with. Their appearance ranked lowest, followed by free time and their ability to make choices in everyday life. Many children therefore described having stable surroundings while feeling less confident about themselves and less able to decide how their days unfold.

The Child Welfare League Foundation, or CWLF, welcomed the government's plan to establish a Children and Families Administration within the Ministry of Health and Welfare. It wants the change to bring earlier mental health prevention, stronger support in schools and communities, and everyday opportunities for families to exercise together.

The survey's central concern is the gap between having a predictable routine and feeling valued within it. A child can feel comfortable at home or have friendships while still feeling isolated in class, unhappy with their appearance or overwhelmed by schoolwork. The findings place those experiences alongside growing concerns about leisure dominated by screens, online safety and young people's use of generative AI for help.

What children say about health and their appearance

Only 27 percent of children described themselves as very healthy. Among girls aged 13, the share fell to about 15.8 percent, or roughly one in six. Many children viewed their appearance negatively and believed they were overweight, with those concerns more common than the international average.

Girls aged 13 stood out across several measures. Their low happiness score appeared alongside weaker assessments of their health, less exercise and very low enjoyment of school. These findings show why a rise in average life satisfaction can sit beside serious difficulties within a particular age group.

Sleep was relatively adequate compared with international averages, but physical activity was low. Only 24.5 percent of girls aged 13 exercised regularly. Separate CWLF research also found that exercise becomes less common as children grow older and that boys are more likely to be active than girls.

Appearance concerns matter because they affect how children see themselves during a period of rapid change. The survey places those worries next to limited free time and a weak sense of control over daily choices. For many children, confidence about their bodies and confidence about their place in the world appear fragile despite stability at home.

Why the transition to adolescence is difficult

Taiwan's transition to junior high often brings heavier schoolwork, longer days and more comparisons with classmates. Body image concerns rise around this age, while girls report the largest declines in well being. Girls aged 13 were much less likely than boys to consider themselves very healthy and much less likely to maintain regular exercise, a habit that can support mood and self esteem.

Communication at home is another concern. Only about a third of girls aged 13 said they felt comfortable talking to their fathers. That gap can leave them with fewer opportunities to turn to a trusted adult when they face stress or conflict with other children.

A study using Taiwan's data from the PISA 2022 assessment adds context. It found that emotional regulation skills among students aged 15 varied by gender and learning stage. Emotional regulation means managing feelings, including how a person responds when upset, anxious or frustrated. Moving between grades was a risk point for declines in those skills.

Male students were more likely than female students to belong to groups with stronger emotional regulation. Family and cultural pressures also shaped how students managed emotions. Supportive relationships and the learning environment could make a difference to how they coped with stress.

Professor Jaap E. Doek, former chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, addressed the issue at a recent CWLF international conference on youth mental health in the social media era. His message placed children's mental health within their right to health:

Prof. Jaap E. Doek said mental health is part of every child's right to health under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. He urged governments and civil society to treat adolescent mental health as a fundamental right.

Classrooms leave many children feeling alone

Only 46.7 percent of children felt that classmates were friendly, helpful or accepting. Nearly half said they often felt isolated or struggled to fit into their class. Research links these experiences with declines in mood and motivation.

Friendships and classroom belonging describe different parts of a child's day. Children ranked friendships among the areas they liked most, yet many still struggled with the wider group they encountered at school. Having friends can coexist with feeling excluded during lessons or other class activities.

School enjoyment was also low. About 29.5 percent of students said they really liked school, roughly three in ten. Among girls aged 13, that fell to around 10 percent, or about one in ten. The results suggest that school is something many children endure rather than enjoy.

CWLF's call for stronger school support therefore extends beyond academic performance. Warmer classroom relationships, accessible counseling and activities that help children feel accepted address the social experience of attending school as well as the pressure of completing work.

Academic pressure begins before junior high

Academic stress appears earlier in Taiwan than in many countries. Among boys aged 11, 40.8 percent already reported pressure linked to schoolwork. Among girls, the share rose from 34.5 percent at age 11 to 46 percent at age 13, an increase of 11.5 percentage points.

Parents' concerns help explain how school pressure reaches into evenings. Surveys found that about 80 percent feared their child would fall behind academically, while 65 percent enrolled their children in cram schools or extra classes. Cram schools provide additional teaching outside regular school hours.

One in five students returned home after 8 p.m. Those schedules compress the hours available for reviewing lessons, playing freely and sleeping. Predictable routines can provide structure, but a day filled with school and extra classes leaves less space for children to choose activities for themselves.

A separate CWLF survey found that more than one in five teenagers had experienced suicidal thoughts. Many students reported too little sleep and irregular sleeping schedules. A sizable share also said they felt reluctant to attend school two or three days each week.

The sleep findings describe different groups and experiences: the broader survey found sleep relatively adequate against international averages, while the separate teenage survey identified deprivation and irregular routines. Together, they draw attention to children whose schedules or distress make rest difficult.

Mental health leave exists, but access is difficult

High school students have been allowed to take mental health leave since last year. The measure gives students a way to take time away from school when their mental health requires it. Most students, however, said they did not know how the policy worked, and some who tried to use it encountered obstacles from school staff or family members.

Young people seeking help often turned to generative AI tools instead of formal services. Generative AI produces responses to users' questions and requests. Its use for emotional support points to a need for help that young people can reach easily and use without feeling judged.

Li Hung wen of the Child Welfare League Foundation connected reliance on AI with difficulty reaching official support. He called for the Ministry of Education to make mental health leave easier to access:

Li Hung wen of the Child Welfare League Foundation said the reliance on AI highlights the lack of access to official resources. He urged the Ministry of Education to remove barriers for students seeking mental health leave.

Schools and families can work together to make leave usable when students need it. CWLF's wider recommendations also call for stronger counseling in schools and more accessible community services, so help is available before distress becomes more severe.

Screens fill leisure time as exercise declines

A CWLF survey covering grades five to nine found that most students spent their limited leisure time watching videos and playing online games. Exercise became less common with age, and boys were more likely than girls to be active.

Regular physical activity was linked with higher life satisfaction and more positive emotions. Long periods of gaming and passive scrolling were associated with lower satisfaction and greater fatigue. Passive scrolling means moving through online content without much active participation.

Many students, especially those in junior high, reported discomfort when they could not use social media. Daily social media use was the norm for 84.6 percent of teenagers, while 13.6 percent showed signs of addiction. These findings sit beside children's dissatisfaction with free time and the low exercise rate among girls aged 13.

Online safety concerns extended to sexual images. About 8.7 percent said they or their classmates had shared or leaked such images. CWLF urged authorities to update laws protecting children's communication and privacy, establish a dedicated online safety authority and require risk assessments by platforms popular with young people.

Teachers remained an important source of guidance. Students said simple reminders from teachers helped them act cautiously online. That finding gives schools a practical role alongside the larger changes CWLF wants from government and digital platforms.

AI use is growing faster than safety habits

One in five students used AI frequently, often without checking whether its answers were accurate or protecting their personal information. Only 39.4 percent said they verified AI content, while 40 percent rarely took steps to avoid uploading personal details into AI systems.

Few families discussed AI safety at home, and many schools still lacked practical AI literacy in their lessons. AI literacy includes understanding how to question an answer, check its source and decide what information is safe to share. Those skills matter when children use the same tools for schoolwork and for help with personal worries.

CWLF proposed a 5C approach that combines emotional support, contact with other people and digital caution:

• Care for mental health.
• Connect through interaction in the real world.
• Check content and sources.
• Control privacy settings.
• Challenge AI outputs through critical thinking.

Parents and teachers can use that approach to help children question uncertain answers and protect their privacy. Checking content, controlling personal information and challenging an AI response can reduce confusion or panic during stressful periods of study.

Support networks and policy responses

The planned Children and Families Administration under the Ministry of Health and Welfare offers an opportunity to connect prevention with everyday support. CWLF wants earlier action on mental health, stronger counseling in schools and services that children can reach in their communities. The plan had been welcomed, but no establishment date was given.

CWLF also called for weekend sports days, more physical education in schools and enjoyable, inclusive sports competitions. These proposals respond to the survey's low exercise figures and aim to make activity part of family and school routines.

The foundation described the administrative change as a chance to respond more directly to children's pressures:

CWLF said society should recognize the pressures on children and use the creation of the Child and Family Affairs Administration as an opportunity to strengthen early prevention and support for children's mental health.

CWLF runs free hotlines, community Youth+ centers and programs for children experiencing emotional distress or trauma. Other organizations in Taiwan provide counseling through text, giving teenagers another way to seek support.

Regional programs offer examples of different approaches. Japan is expanding programs that train gatekeepers, people who can notice distress and guide someone toward help, and develop peer support online. Singapore's government supported campaigns combine outreach with intensive support for young people at risk of suicide.

Researchers in the United States are testing mindfulness practices adapted for adolescents to help them manage emotions and reduce anxiety associated with social media. Mindfulness involves paying attention to present feelings and experiences. These efforts sit alongside Taiwan's need for support that reaches children in schools, families and online spaces.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 24 in Taiwan, and the youth suicide rate has risen over the past decade. That context gives urgency to addressing isolation, academic stress and digital risks together.

What families and schools can do now

Families can make regular outdoor time part of the weekend. Short walks, bike rides and local sports can support mood without requiring a packed schedule. Parents can also set clear boundaries for phone use during meals and in the evening, protecting time for rest and conversation.

Parents can reconsider unnecessary comparisons and expectations after school. Not every evening needs a cram class. Coming home earlier can leave children more time to sleep, pursue hobbies and spend time with family.

Schools can reduce the stakes of classroom assessments and use more interactive learning, group presentations and peer support activities to build confidence. Encouraging exercise deserves particular attention for girls whose activity levels are already low at age 13. Regular activity can support self worth and sleep quality.

Adults should seek help when a child persistently withdraws from friends, experiences major changes in sleep, harms themselves or talks about being a burden. Support is available through national hotlines such as 1925 and 1995, school counseling offices and community youth centers. High school mental health leave provides another option when students need time away.

The surveys describe needs that overlap: children want acceptance, time to rest, opportunities to make choices and trusted people to talk to. Families, schools and community services each have a role in making those parts of everyday life more available.

Key Points

• Life satisfaction rose to 72 out of 100, but 39.1 percent of children felt the world would be no different without them, the highest share in three years.
• Girls aged 13 recorded a happiness score of 48.9; about 15.8 percent felt very healthy and 24.5 percent exercised regularly.
• Only 46.7 percent felt classmates were friendly, helpful or accepting, and nearly half reported isolation or difficulty fitting into class.
• Academic pressure affected 40.8 percent of boys aged 11. Among girls, it rose from 34.5 percent at age 11 to 46 percent at age 13.
• About 29.5 percent of students really liked school, falling to around 10 percent among girls aged 13.
• Daily social media use reached 84.6 percent of teenagers, while checking AI answers and protecting personal information remained weak.
• CWLF welcomed plans for a Children and Families Administration and called for earlier prevention, stronger counseling and more exercise.
• Help is available through 1925 and 1995, school counseling, community youth services and mental health leave for high school students.