Unhappy Students

[Anchor Lead]

A survey on happiness was conducted on 12 year olds in 16 nations, and Korea has ranked dead last. Korean students' dissatisfaction with their appearances particularly dragged down the happiness ranking.

[Pkg]

Teenagers are now a key client demographic at cosmetic stores.

[Soundbite] 7th Grade Student : "I use a concealer, and also apply tint on my lips. That's the most basic."

[Soundbite] 7th Grade Student : "I don't like how I look, so I apply makeup to become more perfect."

More and more teens are also receiving plastic surgery. Middle and high school students account for 20 to 30 percent of all plastic surgery patients during school breaks.

[Soundbite] Yoo Han-soo(Plastic Surgeon) : "Students aiming to become an idol singer or a celebrity come in for counseling, as well as those who just want to be more competitive among their friends."

Korean students have also been found to be highly dissatisfied with their appearance. According to a survey on 12 year olds in 7th grade from 16 nations across all continents, Korea ranked at the very bottom in terms of satisfaction with one's appearance. This category dragged down the overall happiness ranking for which Korea also ranked dead last among surveyed nations.

[Soundbite] Prof. Lee Bong-joo(Dept. of Social Welfare, Seoul Nat'l University) : "Comparisons of appearance often displayed in the mass media also negatively impact students' self-confidence."

The survey's research team emphasized the need to foster a social environment in which students are valued by their personal strengths and talents, instead of their looks.