– I feel very well. Everyone around me is doing well, says 16-year-old Sanna Wassum Madach. Her friends, Martine Stenberg Skramstad (16) and Mille Synnøve Sollund Bjertnes (15), think the same. In the autumn, the three will start upper secondary school in Hamar. Sanna Wassum Madach (16), Martine Stenberg Skramstad (16) and Mille Synnøve Sollund Bjertnes (15) recognize themselves in the positive results from the survey. Photo: Jenny Marie Sveen / news They are not alone in having a good time. Nine out of ten young people believe that their lives are good, and almost eight out of ten believe that they have everything they want in life, shows a new survey. 150,000 young people from the 8th grade to the third year of upper secondary school have responded to Ungdata, which was published today. This is how the Ungdata survey 2023/2024 Ungdata are local youth surveys that are carried out at secondary schools and upper secondary schools all over the country. 150,000 young people took part in the survey in 2023 and 2024. A total of 212 municipalities participated in the survey in these two years, in addition to Svalbard. The survey was carried out in Oslo, Ålesund and four smaller municipalities in 2023. In 2024 in the counties of Innlandet, Vestland, Vestfold, Telemark, Møre and Romsdal, Trøndelag, Troms and Finnmark, on Svalbard and in Lunner and Bindal municipalities. The report is the eleventh national Youth Data report. The report updates the main findings from Ungdata at national level and gives an updated picture of how boys and girls at secondary school and upper secondary school feel, and what they do in their spare time. The vast majority of young people express an everyday life characterized by joy and energy, and many experience a sense of mastery, optimism for the future and that they feel useful. Less lonely and no increased psychological problems There are several positive findings in the report, says researcher Anders Bakken, who is behind the Ungdata survey. – We see a decrease in loneliness among young people. And this increase that has been seen in mental health problems, it has in many ways leveled off, and in some age groups it has also decreased. So there are a lot of young people who are doing well, he says. Anders Bakken is a researcher at NOVA and is behind the Youth Data survey. Photo: Tom Balgaard After a period in the 2010s, when the extent of self-reported mental health problems increased, there is no longer an increasing trend. Among the girls at upper secondary school, there has been a relatively marked decrease in psychological problems. The figure has not been lower for ten years. – Most young people are doing well. The quality of life for Norwegian youth is generally very good. Many have good relationships with their parents, with friends and they enjoy school. Positive results from Ungdata: Health, friends, optimistic about the future Nine out of ten think their life is good. Almost eight out of ten feel that they have everything they want in life. Two out of three are satisfied with their own health, and most report few or no psychological problems. Most young people also report being satisfied with their immediate surroundings. More than nine out of ten like to be with their parents. Many also have a friend they can trust and talk to about anything. Regardless of gender and age, approximately nine out of ten have at least one close friend. Loneliness increased somewhat throughout the 2010s and peaked in the pandemic year 2021. The figures after the pandemic indicate a significant decrease among girls, from 15 per cent in 2021 to just under 11 per cent. The vast majority are satisfied with the school they attend, and the vast majority feel a sense of belonging to the place they live. 68 percent believe they will have a good and happy life. The measures of quality of life differ little by age. On the other hand, more boys than girls report a high degree of quality of life. When it comes to expectations of becoming unemployed, boys are on average less optimistic than girls. Only 17 percent believe that they will ever become unemployed. Never been so high in training activity – believes social media is positive Since the beginning of the 2010s, the proportion who train at least once a week has remained stable and remained below 80 per cent. The figures are now the highest recorded since the measurements began, with 81 per cent exercising one or more times a week. It is the boys this applies to the most. Herman Holte Breien (14), Alfred Holte Breien (16) and Johannes Granstøm Berg (14) like to train. Photo: Jenny Marie Sveen / news Three boys from Valdres on a visit to Hamar can relate to this, as they train a lot. – I may feel that I am more influenced by others on social media. That it affects us positively, by seeing others train. Not that there is physical pressure, but that you are motivated, says Alfred Holte Breien (16). The other two feel that they train fairly regularly all the time, but that their interest in training has grown. – It has become a bit more after the pandemic, says Johannes Granstøm Berg (14). Just since the pandemic, the proportion of boys who train weekly has increased by five percentage points. Alfred Holte Breien (16), Herman Holte Breien (14) and Johannes Granstøm Berg (14). Photo: Jenny Marie Sveen / news news has previously written about an increased fitness trend and that “megarexia” is increasing among young men. More in front of a screen, pressure and increased numbers of bullying There are also several less positive findings in the report. Screen time on mobile phones is increasing: Screen use among young people has decreased after the pandemic, but is still higher than before, with 74 per cent now using more than three hours a day outside school hours, compared to 65 per cent before the pandemic. Pressure: Girls feel more pressure than boys. There is great variation in the amount of pressure young people experience, whether it concerns appearance, performance at school or in sports, or the number of followers on social media. Most people experience little or no pressure, but the pressure at school is the most reported, according to Bakken in Ungdata. Increased number of bullying: There has never been a higher number of bullying recorded in an Ungdata survey before. – We see that there is a little more unrest among young people. A few more young people who are exposed to violence, and a few more young people who get involved in various types of rule breaking. So there are slightly different trends that we see, says Bakken in Ungdata. Negative results from Ungdata: Bullying, sexual harassment and crime Bullying: Bullying figures have never been higher since the measurements began. The report asks whether young people experience bullying, threats or ostracism. 8 percent report that they are exposed to this at least every 14 days, and is one to two percentage points above what was measured before the pandemic. The proportion of boys who expose others to bullying is higher than before, both at junior high school and VGS. Sexual harassment: More girls than boys report having been subjected to sexual harassment. 18 per cent of the girls and 8 per cent of the boys state that they have experienced unwanted sexual feelings in the past year. 6 percent of girls and 4 percent of boys reported that someone shared sexualized images or videos of them against their will. There is also a good number who report that someone has forced or pressured them into intercourse or other sexual acts. Among upper secondary school pupils, this applies to eleven per cent of girls and 3 per cent of boys. Sexual orientation: Students with a sexual orientation other than heterosexual generally experience a lower quality of life and more challenges compared to heterosexual students. Crime and drugs: Youth data shows an increase in youth violence and robbery, with 23 per cent reporting violence from other young people, up from 20 per cent in 2021. The proportion who have been victims of robbery is also higher in this year’s survey than in the last couple of years. Young people’s use of drugs and involvement in breaking the rules is generally low, but there has been an increase in some offenses such as nagging, vandalism and fighting among boys in 2023/24. At the same time, sneaking on the bus has increased most over time, although this year’s figures are lower than in previous surveys. Young people who start crime early often have additional problems such as mental difficulties and substance abuse problems. Few people smoke cigarettes, and only towards the end of secondary school is alcohol something that the majority of young people start experimenting with or use regularly. The use of e-cigarettes has increased, particularly among girls, while snuff use has increased again in recent years after a previous decline. More people in contact with a psychologist There are more people than ten years ago who have been in contact with a psychologist. and about the same number who use a health center for young people. In other areas, there are tendencies for some more people to report health challenges in the last couple of years. The proportion of girls who feel satisfied with their own health, for example, is a good deal lower than before the pandemic. Use of painkillers and health Both this year’s and last year’s measurements show that the proportion using painkillers is higher than previously. Girls in particular report increased use. There are also more people reporting headaches and other physical ailments after the pandemic, although this year’s figures are slightly lower than last year’s. It mostly goes on TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram, say the three girls in Hamar. – It’s probably like five hours a day if not more, says Martine Stenberg Skramstad (16). Friend Mille Synnøve Sollund Bjertnes (15) says that in the winter, screen time goes up, when school starts and everyday life begins. Photo: Jenny Marie Sveen / news Although there are some negative results, the total shows that the quality of life for young people has been consistently high, both during the pandemic and in the first years after. Other results from Ungdata: Sleep habits and energy drinks Sleep habits: For the first time, sleep habits have been mapped. About half answered that they slept seven to eight hours, while nearly four out of ten slept six hours or less. Twelve percent slept nine hours or more. Boys of secondary school age sleep more than girls. Young people generally sleep less after they start high school. Energy drink: This year, it has also been surveyed how often young people drink energy drinks with caffeine, such as Monster, Battery, Red Bull. The results show that half drink this type of energy drink weekly. One in ten drinks it every day. Use increases with age, but stabilizes in upper secondary school age. From the 10th grade onwards, there are generally slightly more boys than girls who drink energy drinks at least five times a week. The report will be presented on Monday during Arendal Week. Published 12.08.2024, at 05.51
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Nine out of ten young people from 8th to upper secondary in Norway answer in the Youth data survey that they have a good life – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
