[Column] Saving 20- and 30-somethings in burnout

Yoon Seok-man
The author is an editorial writer of the JoongAng Ilbo.

The World Health Organization (WHO) since last year has redefined burnout as a form of work-induced stress. While it does not classify it as a medical condition, burnout goes under the International Classification Diseases (ICD) because it is a “factor that can seriously affect health.” The WHO pointed out symptoms such as the feeling of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from the job, feeling of negativity or cynicism related to the work, and reduced efficacy.

Kim Jong-gil, a sociology professor at Duksung Women’s University, defines burnout as a condition of energy depletion from repetition of one’s duties and roles in the modern society. The condition can hit upon those who had been in the same field of work for a lengthy period.

But the young people in their 20s and 30s feel burned out shortly after joining their workplaces. Many wondered how those recruits in their most exciting period can complain of burnout. They should be enthusiastic and anticipating at the onset of a career.

Netmarble Chief Operating Officer (COO) Kim Byung-gyu finds the reason in the “highly competitive environment” in which young Koreans were raised. “They have been pressured to be high achievers from tender age, and after they go through fierce competition to get a decent job, they feel burnout once they have finally achieved their goal.” After studying for nearly 20 years and laboriously striving to find a job, they feel they need a rest.

The situation is no different in university administrations and government offices whose jobs are relatively secure. An HR officer at a private university said it is hard to tell if the recruit is the same person they had interviewed. A senior official at the Sejong Government Complex said it is a pity to find so many employees in their 20s lethargic.

According to a survey on 1,000 workers by healthcare start-up 40FY in February last year, a half of those in their 20s and 30s fell under the burnout category. In the “serious burnout condition group,” the ratio was 56.4 percent among people in their 30s and 40.5 percent among those in their 20s, compared with 25 percent of people in their 50s or older.

The burnout is higher among those who suffer depression and anxiety, at 83 percent and 69, respectively. According to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, the number of those reporting depression and anxiety disorder in their 20s jumped to 280,000 in 2021 from 130,000 in 2017. The figure can translate into that many burnout people in that age group.

Why are the young so seriously burned out? Kim Moon-jo, an honorary professor of sociology at Korea University, finds it a consequence of a high-tension society. The three negatives — distrust in the past, displeasure with the present, and anxiety about the future — weigh on the young people.

“If there is hope that things will be better tomorrow, one would feel less despondent,” said Prof. Kim. “Scarcer opportunities in the society and deepening polarization are draining out young people.” Prof. Kim of Duksung Women’s University also sees the extraordinarily strong pressure to get into good college on top of the common job insecurity for the young people behind the phenomenon.

Listlessness has even dried up the will to work for young people. According to the latest job data released by Statistics Korea on March 20, those who are “idled” after giving up on finding a job totaled 490,000 among those aged from 15 to 29 as of February, the largest number to date. The number of “not in education, employment, or training” (NEET) under 30 steadily increased from 380,000 in 2019 to 430,000 in 2020, 440,000 in 2021, and 450,000 in 2022.

Burnout condition of the young should be regarded with seriousness. The young with the prerogative to be daring and passionate yet burned out at the start of their social life can be a huge loss to the individual and the nation. As the professor at Korea University said, burnout can be avoided if people can anticipate a better future even if their past and present have been hard.

The education paradigm must change, and barriers must come down to provide greater opportunities for young people. All the system must ensure fairness, guaranteeing a reward in parallel with the efforts so that young people and society can grow together. The young must be granted opportunity to start anew after misfortune.

But sadly, there is no sight of political leadership caring for the young. The ruling and opposition parties have their eyes entirely on next year’s parliamentary elections. They have no agenda for the young people and their future. French President Emanuel Macron presses on with pension reform most French people oppose in hopes to leave their children a fairer and solid society. Political leadership is needed for such purposes.