"The Harder You Try, the More Anxious You Feel: The Growing 'Fear of Mistakes' Among Young People [Experiment Note]"

UK Researchers Analyze 82,000 College Students Over 35 Years
Links Found Between Economic Anxiety, Income Inequality
Researchers: "Competitive Environment Matters More Than SNS"

Editor's NoteEat one now, or wait and get two. Do you remember the marshmallow experiment that observed children's choices? Sometimes, a simple study can change the way we view life. Let's take a fresh look at our daily lives through experimental data.

Job seekers are busy earning certifications, while office workers dedicate their after-work hours to exercise or studying. Over the past few years, the so-called "Godsaeng" craze for self-improvement has continued, leading to a constant stream of posts with hashtags such as "#MiracleMorning" and "#Ounwan (Today’s Workout Complete)" on social networking services (SNS).

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In fact, a recently published study found that perfectionistic tendencies among young people have steadily increased over the past 35 years. Researchers at the London School of Economics (LSE) in the UK analyzed 307 studies conducted on 82,939 college students in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. The data included in the research was collected over 35 years, from 1989 to 2024. Across all the studies, the average age of participants was about 20 years old.

The researchers largely divided perfectionism into two categories. One is "perfectionistic striving," or setting high standards for oneself and relentlessly pushing oneself to meet them. The other is "perfectionistic concerns," which refers to being excessively afraid of making mistakes and overly sensitive to others' evaluations.

The study found that both types have increased. However, the rate of increase differed. The tendency to set high standards for oneself rose gradually, while the fear of making mistakes and concern about others' opinions accelerated since the 2000s.

In particular, "fear of making mistakes" showed the greatest increase among all measured indicators. This means that the tendency to treat even minor mistakes as a total failure in life has become much more pronounced compared to previous generations.

Perfectionism: Not Just About Smartphones or SNS

Smartphones and SNS are often cited as causes of increased anxiety and depression among young people. However, the researchers explained that their findings tell a slightly different story. The point at which perfectionism began to rise sharply was in the early 2000s—long before smartphones became an integral part of adolescent life.

Instead, the researchers focused on the economic environment. This is because slower economic growth and widening income inequality showed a close correlation with the rise in perfectionism. In fact, as per capita gross domestic product (GDP) growth slowed, the tendency to push oneself harder became stronger. As income disparities widened, the increase in fear of mistakes and social evaluation became much more rapid.

The researchers explained that the more young people feel economic opportunities are shrinking, the more they believe they must outperform others to survive. As competition intensifies, the anxiety that even a small mistake could lead to disastrous consequences grows stronger.

On the 11th (local time) at the World Cup opening ceremony held in Mexico City, singer Lee Jae is performing the theme song. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

The Real Problem Is Not Perfectionism Itself, But "Fear"

Perfectionism is often packaged as diligence or self-management skills. However, the researchers stressed that perfectionism is different from simple effort. Perfectionism goes beyond setting high goals; it includes the tendency to equate one's self-worth with achievement. This makes it highly likely to lead to anxiety, depression, and self-criticism.

In fact, the correlation between perfectionism and mental health problems has barely changed over the past several decades, according to this study. In other words, as perfectionism increases, psychological distress rises as well.

The researchers pointed out that individual counseling or limiting SNS use alone may not be enough to solve mental health problems among young people. They emphasized the need to examine the very economic and social environments in which young people grow up.

The fact that young people have become more afraid of making mistakes appears closely linked to changes in the socio-economic environment, where they must compete for limited opportunities. However, not all success begins with perfection. In fact, there are many cases where individuals discover their own strengths through trial and error and failure.

The singer Lee Jae, who is gaining worldwide attention for the song "Golden," the OST of the Netflix animation K-Pop Demon Hunters, also went through many years of trial and error. He trained as a trainee at SM Entertainment from the age of 11, preparing for nearly a decade to debut as an idol. However, he was unable to make his debut because his low, husky vocal tone did not match the vocal style preferred in the industry at the time.

But he broke down all barriers and stood on the world stage. Last year, he was listed as the most-streamed K-pop singer in the United States, and at the opening ceremony of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, he performed the official theme song and met with audiences worldwide.

The official theme song "DNA" that he sang includes these lyrics: "Even if I fall again, I will rise once more. This is more than just a game, it's our DNA."

As the lyrics suggest, what matters is not never falling, but having the strength to get back up every time you do. Rather than obsessing over being perfect, perhaps it is more important to have the courage not to fear failure.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.