South Korea has one of the world's greatest populations of internet users: 83.8 percent of South Koreans have access to the Internet, reported Medical Daily on a paper from
.
The country was also an early adopter of wireless technology, a trend that has held steady: over 67 percent of Koreans over the age of 16 have smartphones, the highest anywhere in the world outside of northern Europe.
And smartphone penetration in South Korea is growing fast: it is predicted that by 2017, about 85 percent of Koreans will have smart phones, according to
In a country where a
28-year old man once dropped dead
after a 50-hour gaming marathon and a
after their baby died from neglect while they raised a "virtual" child, it isn't surprising to learn that the cognitive abilities of citizens overwhelmed by screens may be compromised.
This is the type of brain damage typically associated with stroke, tumors, traumatic brain injury, or psychiatric illness.
Left brain damage can cause problems with attention, memory, organization, orientation, problem solving, reasoning, and social communication, according to
the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
In addition, in the long term, underdevelopment of the right brain can lead to serious health issues like early-onset dementia.
"Ten to 15 percent of those with the mild cognitive disorders develop dementia," says psychiatrist Park Ki-jeong.
Government statistics bear him out: the number of people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s suffering from cognitive problems increased by 37 percent between 2008 and 2012.