SEOUL, March 26 (AJP) - About a quarter of South Koreans were at risk of overdependence on smartphones last year, according to a survey released Thursday. The risk was similarly high among young children but decreased among adults and those in their 60s compared with the previous year.
The Ministry of Science and ICT conducted one-on-one interviews with about 10,000 households nationwide to survey patterns of smartphone usage.
Some 22.7 percent of smartphone users were classified as being at risk, down 0.2 percentage points from the previous year, seeing a continuous decline since 2021.
By age, teenagers had the highest rate at 43 percent, followed by young children at 26 percent. Adults stood at 22.3 percent and those in their 60s at 11.5 percent, both down from a year earlier.
But digital inclusion made steady progress overall. Digital literacy, accessibility, and usage improved among digitally vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities older adults, low-income individuals, and those working in agriculture and fisheries.
In terms of overall usage of smart devices, these groups reached 77.9 percent of the general public's level, up 0.4 percentage point from the prior year, marking the fifth consecutive year of growth.
The ministry said it will offer consultation services and other programs to help high-risk teenagers reduce their use of smart devices, in cooperation with other government agencies.
The Ministry of Science and ICT conducted one-on-one interviews with about 10,000 households nationwide to survey patterns of smartphone usage.
Some 22.7 percent of smartphone users were classified as being at risk, down 0.2 percentage points from the previous year, seeing a continuous decline since 2021.
By age, teenagers had the highest rate at 43 percent, followed by young children at 26 percent. Adults stood at 22.3 percent and those in their 60s at 11.5 percent, both down from a year earlier.
But digital inclusion made steady progress overall. Digital literacy, accessibility, and usage improved among digitally vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities older adults, low-income individuals, and those working in agriculture and fisheries.
In terms of overall usage of smart devices, these groups reached 77.9 percent of the general public's level, up 0.4 percentage point from the prior year, marking the fifth consecutive year of growth.
The ministry said it will offer consultation services and other programs to help high-risk teenagers reduce their use of smart devices, in cooperation with other government agencies.
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