In response to the question, "What is most necessary for happiness?" teenagers ranked 'wealth' as the top choice, over family, friends, or appearance.
According to the '2025 Survey on the Leisure, Consumption Expenditure, and Career Awareness of Teenagers' published by the College Tomorrow Research Institute on the 24th, more than half (52.1%) of middle and high school students aged 14 to 18 chose 'wealth' as the number one condition for happiness. This was followed by parents (39.5%), close friends (34.6%), appearance (32.1%), and life goals and dreams (30.3%). The percentage of respondents who chose 'partners' was relatively low at 26.9% for boys and 18.6% for girls.
Additionally, teenagers anticipated their economic status at age 30 to be 'middle class' (50.6%) the most. However, future class expectations varied significantly depending on parents' income levels. Teens from upper-class households expected to move into upper middle class (35.6%) or upper class (13.0%), while nearly half (38.5%) of teens from lower-class households believed they would remain in lower middle class. Among respondents from middle-class households, 61.2% expected to stay in the middle class.
Academic achievement also influenced future economic outlooks. While 49.1% of students with above-average grades expected to be upper middle class or higher, 40.0% of students with below-average grades indicated they would remain in lower middle class or below.
In career choices, both economic power and grades had an impact. The percentage of respondents wishing to start a business was 42.3%, while the intention to engage in influencer activities was 36.9%. For teens from upper-class families, these figures were higher, at 51.0% and 40.9%, respectively.
Meanwhile, the more difficult the family situation, the higher the percentage of teenagers who cited mental strength (31.0%), life goals and dreams (36.5%), and housing (30.0%) along with wealth as conditions for happiness. Girls showed a higher response rate than boys in most categories, indicating a tendency to recognize a more diverse range of factors contributing to happiness.