One in seven adolescents is addicted either to the internet or their smartphone, according to a recent survey.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family’s survey on 1.41 million adolescents across the country showed 14.3 percent were categorized as “at risk” or “in need of caution” regarding their internet and smartphone use.
The “at risk” group is defined as showing serious difficulty in their daily life without the internet or a smartphone to the extent that they need help from experts. The caution group is defined as people having difficulty in controlling use.
The survey was conducted on fourth grade students in elementary school, and first year students in middle and high school.
The group of first year middle school students had the largest number addicted to the internet, while the group of first year students in high school had the largest number addicted to smartphones.
The survey showed addiction levels are increasingly being found in younger students. The number of fourth grade students addicted to smartphones increased by more than 10,000 from the survey conducted in 2015. The same applied for internet addiction.
Meanwhile, the survey showed male students tended to be more addicted to the internet, and female students to smartphones.
The ministry is offering counseling and therapy at affiliated centers for students showing addiction.