"Due to Short-Form Content"... Four Out of Ten Adolescents Are Overdependent on Smartphones

Survey on Digital Inclusion Indicators by the Ministry of Science and ICT

Four out of ten Korean adolescents are reportedly experiencing difficulties controlling their excessive use of smartphones in daily life.

On March 26, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced the results of a survey on digital inclusion. The survey, which targeted all 17 metropolitan cities and provinces nationwide, examined key indicators of digital inclusion policies, including the digital information gap, web accessibility, and smartphone overdependence.

The overall level of digital informatization showed improvement. Digital competency reached 65.9%, digital utilization level was 80.5%, and digital accessibility stood at 96.6%, with each subcategory recording a slight increase compared to the previous year.

By demographic group, the elderly had the lowest rate at 71.8%, but this represented a 0.4 percentage point increase from the previous year. Farmers and fishers, people with disabilities, and low-income groups also saw slight increases, recording 80.6%, 84.1%, and 97%, respectively.

The average score in the web accessibility survey, which measures whether websites comply with national accessibility guidelines, rose by 3.7 points from the previous year to 70.4. By industry, the finance and insurance sector scored highest at 79, while the wholesale and retail sector scored lowest at 65.7.

The survey on smartphone overdependence found that the proportion of the at-risk group decreased by 0.2 percentage points year-on-year to 22.7%. However, contrary to the overall downward trend, the proportion of adolescents and young children in the at-risk group increased to 43% and 26%, respectively.

The increase in the proportion of at-risk groups for smartphone overdependence was attributed to several factors: the spread of short-form content, the diversification of platforms used, and the proliferation of generative AI services—all significant changes in the digital environment.

The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to support measures such as expanding digital detox programs and on-site counseling to prevent the deepening of smartphone overdependence among adolescents and young children.

Hong Seongwan, Director-General of ICT Policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, "We have confirmed that key indicators demonstrating our society's digital inclusion are improving," adding, "We will do our best to create a healthy, digitally inclusive society centered around the Digital Inclusion Act."

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