72% of children in Japan feel stress over coronavirus pandemic: poll

The other 28% lied. We live in stressful times.

Of course they are stressed. They had daily homework during the school shutdown that wasn't really a shutdown. Then most of their school vacations were canceled making this school year longer than usual. Then the alternate schedule where 5 days per week school students sometimes go 6 days per week and 6 days per week school students go 7 days per week.

The regular school year would have been much shorter than what they have to deal with now.

What do you think the kids in Japan felt when the USAAF was bombing every Japanese city and town in 1944-45?

Horror. But using that as a ploy to downplay the situation today is pretty low don’t you think?

Look at the above photo and it’s not hard to understand why they are stressed. Which could be avoidable in most part by stopping those ridiculous plastic sheets and relaxing the obligation to wear a mask all the time. Another solution is to give them back extra holidays to compensate for the lost ones. And of course stopping with all this fear mangling would certainly help a lot.

It also depends on where you live, I live in a fairly rural area, my kids' school only have about 100 kids in total and the restrictions are minimal. They only have to wear a mask during certain times, they are allowed to play together, no social distance enforced or other nonsense rules. They seem quite happy. Going to school in the city must be hell right now, poor children.

I am with Daito and El Rata.

This is a worldwide phenomenon. How you judge a country is how they deal with the problem.

Let the these children, kids interact.

Of course there could be consequences, we are all, and where only young once, remember.

Platitudes and plastic, they really don't sit well together.

For god's sake, they've had it easy compared to kids in Europe and America. My relative in NYC has had to home-school her kids for several months. I've seen Japanese kids back at school since a long time ago. It's been business as usual from my observation. I've seen groups of 30-40 school kids packed on the tennis courts 6 days a week, with none of them wearing masks.

Taking away this plastic sheet would help to reduce the stress, specially as they are useless in front of every desks as kids already wear a mask. Ventilation is more important and the key.

Went to Hachijojima last weekend and a stressed owner restaurant, an obaasan, put plastic sheets in the middle of each table, and wanted my wife and I to be separated by that sheet, that it was the guidelines. I complained and argued, as I do not want eat with my wife like that, and that even in Tokyo, they were not doing that.

We left the restaurant. All other places there were normal

no only schooling children under stress and I feel sorry how archaic the class room setup look especially the desks and chairs with no lumbar and back support. They really need to upgrade those cave man looking class rooms

I wonder what percentage of parents feel the same?

Mind of Japanese children has become robots. All they need to know is to be free soul naturally.

Kids may feel stressed because that’s how the adults are making them feel. I have a JHS student I’m teaching. She said she felt stressed. I told her how cool it was to experience something new that I never had the chance to do. Study from home. Told her many of the good things about it. She is happier but unfortunately there is nothing I can do about the parents who are always looking over their kids shoulder. This is what is giving them stress. It’s not the pandemic. It how they view it through our (adult’s) actions.

72% of children in Japan feel stress over coronavirus pandemic: 

Of course they do with the way thay the media has over-hyped this thing.

Of course they do with the way thay the media has over-hyped this thing.

The Media control everything, hmmm.

Is this a chicken vs. egg kind of argument you are making here Randy? The tail wagging the dog? Sounds like a conspiracy.

What should we do?

They’d be more stressed if they knew the actual number of people infected is in the thousands every day.

The survey also found that 32 percent would not wish it to be known if they or their family members become infected with the virus, while 47 percent believe most people would wish to keep it a secret.

Twenty-two percent said they would not want to play or hang out with those who have contracted the virus, even once they recover.

This is a very sad thing to read, and something I'm sure the kids pick up from their parents. I've lived in Japan for a long time but I'll never understand this kind of behaviour (= ostracising the infected ones by mean words and behaviour, I'm not talking about quarantine and self-isolation here, which of course should take place if someone's got the virus) . With covid-19 people should feel comfortable and safe enough to openly say if they've got the virus, or suspect it, so that others can take the proper precautions, and try to stop it spreading further. If someone is having a hard time and in trouble, you should support them, help them, not leave them to struggle on their own and bully them.

Commenting on the results, Mayumi Hangai, a pediatrician and researcher at the center, said parents should let children express their feelings freely rather than scolding them for being irritated, using violence or taking other actions.

I agree, but Ms. Hangai should also tell the parents not to stigmatise and shun anyone because of the virus, and that it's always ok to openly say if they're not feeling well.

There is NO science behind it and if you look at the Real Contagion and Death Rates, No Child Worldwide has died from COVID or Caught it. Its a Disgrace.

Well, that’s goodnight from him.

GOD please save the children.

This is a very sad thing to read, and something I'm sure the kids pick up from their parents. I've lived in Japan for a long time but I'll never understand this kind of behaviour (= ostracising the infected ones by mean words and behaviour, I'm not talking about quarantine and self-isolation here, which of course should take place if someone's got the virus) . With covid-19 people should feel comfortable and safe enough to openly say if they've got the virus, or suspect it, so that others can take the proper precautions, and try to stop it spreading further. If someone is having a hard time and in trouble, you should support them, help them, not leave them to struggle on their own and bully them.

Well that is the reality here, only public figures and the famous can freely say they tested

positive without any repercussion from the public, the average Taro and Hanako will be shunned

and discriminated upon if they test positive and might lose their job even when they are permanent

staff, temp workers and part timers will in most cases lose their jobs and because of that most even

with symptoms will prefer to hide it rather than seek a test because the health center will get involved

and the company will eventually know as testing will extend to the company as well which will lead

to bad publicity, disruption of work and probably loss of revenue for the company. There is a big disparity

between the number of positive cases reported and the actual numbers.

72% of children feel stressed about a pimple on their face and 72% of males are stressed about the girl in the second row who they can't stop sneaking looks at. 72% are stressed about having gas during class and are stressed that their mother will scold them if they don't get a perfect score on today's test. 72% are stressed that they'll make a mistake playing the trumpet during band practice and be laughed at.

Kind of feel sorry for 6th graders. Many events are being cancelled or scaled down. For example, here in Kansai, the school trip destination has changed from destinations like Hiroshima and Ise to places they have probably been to like Lake Biwa or Awaji Island. The sports festival has either been cancelled or scaled down and 6th grade is supposed to be the memorable year for it.

This is a very sad thing to read, and something I'm sure the kids pick up from their parents. I've lived in Japan for a long time but I'll never understand this kind of behaviour (= ostracising the infected ones by mean words and behaviour, I'm not talking about quarantine and self-isolation here, which of course should take place if someone's got the virus)

Vinke,

Bang on there!! Sad how quickly parents can poison kids minds

GOD please save the children.

God is omnipotent, all-powerful and knows exactly what’s going on. It was all planned this way. Moving in mysterious ways keeps faith alive. Amen.

Turn those perspex screens in front of the Kids into Touch Computer Screens then you have something that becomes super exciting, somewhat like Star trek even. That'll focus their attention and encourage the Kids to come to School.

.... On the downside, our Kids will become either Vulcan or Romulan.

Nine percent of respondents, meanwhile, reported sometimes hurting themselves or using violence against family members or pets.

This is the only thing that was really jolting to me. Everything else is very much understandable, as the other commenters have already said. Of course there’s children stressed, there’s adults stressed too. We’re all stressed, and adults have to work as well.

@daito_hak Everything that you said in your comment was spot on. Seriously, it was like perfect, couldn’t have said it better myself.

the question is- how many children would have answered that they generally feel stress before the Virus due to external factors? Being a schoolkid in this country is harsh anyway you slice it.

I feel stress every time I go shopping in a store with those silly plastic partitions. I refuse to go anywhere that requires a mask. My current place of employment hasn't strictly required them, but most people wear them (I don't). I am afraid they will require them next fiscal year, at which point I will have no other option than to resign. I don't do masks. If you were as hot-natured as I am, you wouldn't either. The very few times I put one on, I have to remove it every few minutes to wipe off the sweat that accumulates. And aren't they saying that once a mask is saturated, it is useless? Am I supposed to switch masks every few minutes? Who is going to pay for all those masks? Not I. So, if it becomes mandatory, I will become even more of a stay-at-homer than I already am.

Well that is the reality here, only public figures and the famous can freely say they tested

positive without any repercussion from the public, the average Taro and Hanako will be shunned

and discriminated upon if they test positive and might lose their job even when they are permanent

staff, temp workers and part timers will in most cases lose their jobs and because of that most even

with symptoms will prefer to hide it rather than seek a test because the health center will get involved

and the company will eventually know as testing will extend to the company as well which will lead

to bad publicity, disruption of work and probably loss of revenue for the company. There is a big disparity

between the number of positive cases reported and the actual numbers.

Exactly! I concur 100%

No question about the stress of mask on children?

Surely these children aren't being told they are in danger? Latest numbers from USA CDC - chances of surviving according to age group are:

Age Group                     Probability of Survival

0-19:                               99.997%

20-49:                             99.98%

50-69:                             99.5%

70+:                                94.6%

Peter:

And on top of all that stress, your going to force them to wear mask and stress them out even more, even though it's proven a child's death coronavirus is extremely rare.

This is absolutely ridiculous and needs to be stopped.

Forcing children to all wear mask masked it difficult for them to read each others emotions. Many mirco emotions can been seen through the whole face.

I put a mask on at home and look at my son for a second and he suddenly said "I'm not doing anything wrong!!!"

Take the mask of your kids Japan. Stop punishing them and let them have a normal childhood that you had. They deserve better.

GOD please save the children

... from this hysteria!