"Smartphone Addiction" Increased Over 3 Years... Government Implements Prevention Education

Ministry of Science and ICT and NIA Distribute Guidelines

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] As smartphone addiction has increased due to COVID-19 and other factors, the government plans to initiate preventive education.

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Information Society Agency (NIA) announced on the 9th that starting from the 10th, they will distribute the "Smartphone Overdependence Prevention and Resolution Guidelines" to support healthy smartphone use among users.

According to the annual smartphone overdependence survey, the proportion of the overdependence risk group, which includes both high-risk and potential-risk groups among smartphone users aged 3 to 69, has been increasing every year, reaching 23.3%. This marks a continuous increase for two years following 2018 (19.1%) and 2019 (20.0%).

With the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic leading to increased non-face-to-face activities, smartphone usage time has risen. It is expected that overdependence among young children and adolescents will worsen, making it necessary to prepare countermeasures at home and school levels to prevent this.

The guidelines include a smartphone overdependence self-diagnosis scale, age-specific smartphone proper usage practices, and information on how to use the Smart Healing Center for overdependence counseling, covering prevention and resolution content.

They provide guidance so that anyone can self-assess their degree of smartphone overdependence and offer information on prevention counseling programs and how to apply for education operated by 18 Smart Healing Centers nationwide.

Methods for smartphone use and alternative activities that parents and children can practice together at home are suggested. Procedures and information for mandatory smartphone overdependence prevention education conducted at schools are also included.

The guidelines will be distributed to daycare centers, kindergartens, and schools nationwide and can be freely downloaded and used from the Digital Dysfunction Response Integrated Information Portal and the Smart Healing Center website.

Moon Yong-sik, Director of NIA, stated, “Through the distribution of these guidelines, we expect to spread the practice of proper smartphone use at schools and homes.” He added, “In the future, we will strive to expand various customized education and counseling programs so that anyone can easily utilize them, not just the guidelines.”

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